I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, i 

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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, t 



^^^^^^^^^ 



TENT AND HAREM: 



NOTES OF AN ORIENTAL TRIP. 



BY 



CAKOLENE PAINE. 



NEW YORK : 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 



M.DOCO.LIX. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, 
BY JOHN PAINE, 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Southern District of New York. 



THE FOLLOWING PAGES 

ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 
TO THOSE 

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THEOUGH 

WHOSE PARTIALITY AND ZEAL 
THEY HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Arrival at Constantinople — Salute — Bird's-eye View of Stamboul and 
its Environs — Landing — Condition of the Streets — English Hotel- 
Removal to the Hotel of Madame * * * * — View from it — Captain 
L * * * * — Sultan going to Mosque, 1 



CHAPTER H. 

Turkish fondness for fine Scenery — Dogs — Streets of Pera, etc., . 12 



CHAPTER III. 

Dress of the Turkish Men — Description of .the Houses, Palaces, etc. — 
Turkish Women — Their Amusements — Children, ... 17 



CHAPTER IY. 

The Sweet Waters— Situation — Mode of access — Fetes — The Sultan — 
His Body-guard — Gay appearance tof the Multitude, and its passive- 
ness — Appearance of Turks in the Cafes — Occasional Mendicants — 
Manners and Customs of Franks — Mode of going to Parties — Alarm 
of Fire, . . . ' 23 



vi 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

House and Garden at Therapia — Visits to Stamboul — Kaiks — Excursions 
on the Bosphorus — The Castles, Palaces, and Tillages that line its 
Shores— Bebec— The Missionaries — Schools, etc., . . • . 32 

CHAPTER VI. 

Bazaars — Description of the Buildings— Streets of Stamboul — Objects 
to be seen there — Jewish Guides in the Bazaars — Deception and 
Disappointment — Various Departments of the Bazaar, . . 39 

CHAPTER VII. 

Visit to Broussa — Oriental Life on board a Turkish Steamer — Hotel at 
Gimlec — Dinner a la Turque — Ride to Broussa — Character of the 
Country and Travellers — Approach to Broussa — Missionaries — Visit 
to a Harem — Adventures on our return — Politeness of the Turks — 
A Night on board the Boat, 46 

CHAPTER VIII. 

A Wedding at the Palace of the Grand Vizier — Splendor of the Guests 
and of the Bride — General Character of the Festivity, etc., . 60 

CHAPTER IX. 

Rigid observance of the Turkish East — Eeast of Bairam — Processions — 
Sultan — Ceremony of Baise-Pied, 68 

CHAPTER X. 

Fishermen's Huts in the Bosphorus — Storms in the Black Sea — Crowds 
of Vessels in Harbor — The Greek Girls of Therapia — An Incident 
—The Croats and Gardeners, 74 

CHAPTER XL 

An Armenian Wedding — Reception — Description of the Room and 
Guests— The Bride— Wedding Ceremony, etc., . . .79 

CHAPTER XH. 

Trip to Alexandria — Thence to Cairo — The Desert — Pyramids— Minarets 



CONTENTS, Vii 

—Egyptian Women with Jars — Landing — Carriages— Eunners — 
Hotel — Prospect from it — Ophthalmia — Children — Rain — Drive to 
Shoubra — Heliopolis— Obelisk — Holy Family, etc. — The Tombs of 
the Memlooks and Caliphs— The new Mosque— View from the 



Citadel — Bazaars — Departure, 86 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Trip to the Second Cataract — Character of the Boat and its Occupants — 
Servants — Dragoman — Crew — Pleasures of an Expedition on the 
Nile, . 94 



CHAPTER XIV. 

, Wadee Halfeh — Rock of Abooseer — Cataract — Burckhardt' s Account of 
it — Temples of Aboo-Simbel — Evening — Scenery — Manner of pass- 
ing our Evenings — Visit from a Sheikh — An Uncomfortable Wind 
— Nubians — Spinning and Weaving — Dress of Men and Women — 
Plies — Crocodiles, 103 

CHAPTER XV. 

Excavations — Castle of Ibrim — View from it — Character of the Ruins — 
Taxes of the Nubians — Extracts from Burckhardt — Derr — Visit from 
and to the Governor — A Bird — The Village — Palms — Temple — 
Women — A Commotion — Character of the Nubians by Burckhardt 
— Charms of Nubia — Scenery below Derr, .... 115 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Temple of Amada — Korosko — Another Visit from the Governor — Break- 
fast — Adverse Wind — Our Ostrich — An Incident — Dakkah — Char- 
acter of the Sculptures — Dance of the Natives — Gerf Hoseyn — 
Lawless Men— Imitation — A Scorpion — Remedy for the Bite, 123 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Dendoor — Kalabsha — Description of the Ruin by Burckhardt — " House 
of the Saint " — Beauty of Scenery — Tafa — Inhabitants — Lively Wei 
come — Backsheesh — A Beautiful Child— Ophthalmia — The Temple3 
— -jFine Evening and Scenery, 131 



viii 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XVIu. 

Death of our Ostrich — Its Peculiarities — An Incident in a Nubian Vil- 
lage — a Dance — Habits of the Crew at Evening — Monotonous 
Sounds — Philse — Descent of the Cataract— Another Visit from the 
Governor of Derr — Governor of Assuan — Quarries at Assuan — An 
Incident in our Boat, ........ 140 

i 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Temple of Kom Ombo — Change in the Face of the Country — Quarries of 
Gebel Silseleh — Disappointment— Edfoo — Temples — Ride to Eile- 
thyas — Character of the Desert — Temples and Tombs— Esne — Bread 
— Temple — A Chameleon — Another Ostrich — Temple of Arment— 
Arrival at Luxor, ......... 153 



CHAPTER XX. 

Our abode at Thebes — Bird's-eye View of its Environs — Visit to the 
Tombs of the Kings — Belzoni's Tomb — Tomb of Remeses the Great 
—No. II., Harper's or Brace's Tomb — Tombs of Priests and Private 
Persons — Interesting Sculptures, 163 



CHAPTER XXL 

Return to our Boat — Plies — Mosquitoes — El Karnak — Coffee from the 
Harem — Invitation to Dine — Dilemma — Kiamel's Hesitation — Rea- 
son — Preparations for a Visit — Cavalcade — Mud Palace — The Inte- 
rior — Its Inmates — Reception — Amiable Hostess — Her Solitude and 
imagination — Our Speculations and Surprise — A Dinner a la Turque 
— Manner of Bathing the Hands — Birds — Our Departure — The 
Porter, 171 



CHAPTER XXII. 

An Exhibition of Throwing the Djerrid — Fine Horses and Riders — Their 
Dexterity — Alexander — Achmed — Dress of the Arab Horsemen— 
Another Story of a Mud Palace— Extraordinary Paper, . . 186 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



Departure from Thebes— A Sorry Party— Denderah— Donkey-Ride— 
Temple— Cleopatra — Dungeons and Bats — Absence of Fear — The 
Egyptian Face— Old Serour— Comic Talents of some of our Crew— 



CONTENTS. 



Abydos — Osioot — An Excursion to the Mountains — Tombs and 
Mumrnies — Unfortunate Rais, 192 

CHAPTER XXIY. 

Preparations for a Thunder-Shower — Rain — Wind Changes — Sail Set — 
Get aground — Trying Night for the Sailors — Tempest of Sand — Il- 
lusive Appearances on Shore — Discouragement — A Council — Agree- 
able Decision — Ride to Dayr e' Nakhl — Solicitations of the Crew for 
Future Employment — Tombs Interesting — Representation of the 
Removal of a Colossal Statue — Fine Yiew from the Mountain — An- 
tinoe — Copt Tillage — Visit to a Convent, .... 207 

CHAPTER XXY. 

Tombs at Beni Hassan — Joseph and his Brethren — Pine Representations 
of Birds — And of Fishes — And Cattle — Agricultural Pursuits— Sin- 
gular Yiew from the Mountain — Opposing Winds — Tempest-Tossed 
— Cairo in Sight — -One of the Men plunged — Yisit to the Pyramid 
of Sakkara — Memphis — Colossal Statue of Remeses the Great — The 
Quarries of Massara, 219 

CHAPTER XXYI. 

Reluctance to part from our Boat — Kindness of the Boatmen — Their 
Endurance — Meagre Food and Small Pay — Cooking Apparatus of 
the Crew — Danger from Fire — Pyramids of Ghizeh — Disappoint- 
ment and Reason for it — Charming Landscape — The Isle of Rhoda 
— Mooring and pulling up of Stakes— Garden of the Pacha — 
Mirage, 224 

CHAPTER XXYII. 

Return to Cairo — Preparations for the Desert — Mahaffa — Excursion to 
the Petrified Forest — Return through the City — Disaster — Sheikh 
Hoseyn — Yisitors — Snake-Charmer — Outfit Completed — Display of 
Tents — Spectators — Departure, 235 

CHAPTER XXYIII. 

First Night and Morning in the Desert — Mode of Life — Caravan — Desert 
from Cairo to Suez — Character and Dress of Sheikh Hoseyn — 
Sheikh Umbarrak and the Men — A Day's Travel — Reoose — Coffee 



X 



CONTENTS. 



from Hoseyn — Camel's Milk — Our Cook Mohammed— Disposition 
of the Men and Camels for the Night — Refreshing Nights — Charac- 
teristics of Places of Encampment, and of the Bedouins — Contract 
to Syria, 244 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Come upon the Track of the Israelites — Ayoun Moosa — The Pool of 
Marah — Wady Ghurundel — Elim — Character of the Scenery to 
Wady Eeiran — Repose at Wady Feiran — Journey continued — Mount 
Serbal — Change from the Mahaffa to a Camel — An Adventure — 
Visit to a Bedouin Harem — Camel Race — Sheikh Moosa — Character 
and Deportment of the Women — Singing and some Extraordinary 
Manifestations of Regard, ....... 254 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Tent-Life by Star-Light — Leave Mount Serbal — Pass of Gebel Ootaiah 
— Horeb and Sinai — Refreshing Thunder-Storm — Ascent of Sinai — 
View of Mount Catharine — Visit to the Convent — Preparation for 
ascending Horeb — Convent of El Arbain — A Night there — Summit 
of Horeb, 266 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Farewell to the Mountains and Convents — Solitary Morning Walks — 
Wady Saal— Wady El Ain— Wady Watire— Pass of Negabad— The 
Patriarch Camel — Gulf of Akaba — Magnificent View across it — 
Tramp along its Coast — Town of Akaba — Free Trade in Shells- 
New Guides and Camels — A Simoon — Mount Hor — Wild Entrance 
through the Rocky Passes into Petra — Ascent of Mount Hor, 278 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Wady El Arab a again — Toward the Land of Promise by Mount Seir — 
The Camel-Stealer — Pass of Tufa — Take leave of the Desert — He- 
bron — Tedious and Ridiculous Quarantine — Our Fourth Variety of 
Travelling — Horses and Mules— Romance of Travel ended, 292 



CHAPTER I. 

ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE — SALUTE — BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF STAM- 
BOUL AND ITS ENVIRONS — LANDING CONDITION OP THE STREETS- 
ENGLISH HOTEL — REMOVAL TO THE HOTEL OP MADAME * * * * — 
VIEW PROM IT — CAPT. L* * *• — SULTAN GOING TO MOSQUE. 

It was early in the winter of 1850 that the noble 
steam frigate Mississippi made her way over the Sea of 
Marmora, and entered gracefully into the harbor of the 
Bosphorus. 

Preparations were immediately made for saluting 
the Porte, and her heavy guns, discharged in rapid suc- 
cession, sent forth loud, long, and mingled roars of 
thunder, that rattled and reverberated among the beau- 
tiful sloping shores, thickly studded with frail, pro- 
fusely glazed houses and lofty mosques, whose stately 
minarets seemed to stand as sentinels to receive and 

repeat the tidings of her joyful arrival. 
1 



2 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



Scarcely had the reiterated and prolonged volleys 
died away, when the salute was courteously returned 
from the battery of the Sublime Porte, and the jets of 
fire and wreaths of smoke that accompanied the loud 
and hearty sounds of welcome added beauty to the 
grand and exciting scene. 

With eager eyes and thrills of admiring wonder^ 
never to be experienced but once in a lifetime, we re- 
garded the world of beauty and of novelty that sur- 
rounded us. 

To the right of our entrance stretched the low line 
of undulating hills on the Asiatic side ; the quays thickly 
set with palaces and arsenals, behind which rose towns 
and gardens, and hills crowned with pretty MosJcs or 
country residences. Dark masses of cypress, covering 
a large area, indicated the site of the great cemetery 
of Scutari. 

On our left, the European side, lay the city of Stam- 
boul, or Constantinople proper, presenting an array of 
lantern-like looking houses, one rising above another, 
all showing to advantage upon the sloping and rounded 
hill on which the city is built, and terminating in the 
beautiful projection called Seraglio Point, where the 
old and forsaken palace is enveloped by dark cypresses, 
which, together with the noble mosque of St. Sophia, 
guarded by its tall minarets, give a sort of hallowed 
beauty to the spot. The immense mosques of Achmed, 
Soolimania, and others, towering above all in ponderous 
grandeur, the magnificent lofty domes and slender 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



3 



minarets standing out against the sky, are the crown- 
ing glory of the strange city. 

The Golden Horn, sweeping round to the west and 
north, bathes the northern shore, and is alive with the 
light and graceful JcdiJcs or boats that skim the surface 
of the unrippled water, moved by the lazy oars of the 
turbaned kdiJcjis. 

On the opposite side of the Horn rises the more 
modern town of Pera, and amid the small two-story 
wooden houses, of red, green, blue and brown, 
stand in imposing grandeur the stone palaces of the 
English, French and Russian legations. The lower 
and steepest sides of the hill, quite to the quay, are 
closely covered with similar wooden buildings of divers 
colors, the upper story projecting far beyond the lower, 
and filled with windows. The acclivity is so abrupt 
that these small houses seem almost to stand tottering 
one upon another, and form the busy, trafficking town 
of Galata, of which the old Genoese tower is a striking 
object. 

A little more to the east and north, as the hill 
rounds, Tophanah finds a similar position to that of 
Galata, at the foot of Pera, and the tout ensemble has 
the appearance of an uninterrupted amphitheatre of 
buildings. The quay of Tophanah is graced by the 
mosque of Mahmoud H., having the most symmetrical 
minarets, and a beautiful arabesque fountain, by the 
side of which is a bivouac of soldiers. A flag-staff of 
uncommon beauty, upon which floats the brilliant red 



4 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



flag with its star and crescent, marks the site of the 
adjoining arsenal, from which the word Tophanah de- 
rives its origin. 

A little beyond, following the shore of the Bos- 
phorus, which is lined with rather dilapidated wooden 
buildings, is the palace of the Sultan, the one built by 
Mahmoud II., conspicuous for its light and tasteful ar- 
chitecture, so happily suited to its position ; the flight 
of white marble steps, leading down to the water from 
the whole length of it, harmonizing beautifully with 
the pale amber color of the building, and the white 
latticed windows. Still beyond, and near by, stands 
the more stately palace of stone erected by the present 
Sultan, Abdul Medjid. 

We were set ashore in one of the ship's boats, ac- 
companied by some of her gentlemanly officers, and 
the neat and orderly appearance of our sailors, in blue 
dress and bright buttons, with white collars and black 
tarpaulins, contrasted strikingly with the turbans and 
fezes of the loosely robed kdikjis who were resting 
in the confused crowd of little boats, through which 
we strove to thread our way to the landing at To- 
phanah. 

Wonderful skill and dexterity are required to navi- 
gate the way through such a plantation of boats, amid 
brawling and disorder enough to drive one mad ; and 
when a successful opening is made by wedging in 
through the mass, ten chances to one but the boat en- 
counters another, that pushes it back to take a new start. 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



5 



We found a carriage in waiting for us at the quay, 
and the ladies of our party, who were able to bear 
pounding and jolting, took their seats in it, while the 
invalid Mrs. was borne in a sedan chair. 

The streets were certainly not in their holiday dress, 
for there had been a snow the day previous, and it had 
melted and mixed with the dirt, so that the mud was 
ankle deep. The driver, walking by the side of the 
carriage, guided the horses, and another attendant fol- 
lowed upon the other side for the purpose of balancing 
and keeping it right side up, in case the horses failed in 
their severe duty of dragging it up the terraced street, 
or a too large cavity in the rough and time-worn pave- 
ment should endanger the equmbrium. 

At length, after much wonder at the quiet manner 
in which the steep and rugged ascent had been sur- 
mounted by our equipage, and wondering still more 
how ladies could pedestrianize in such pools of mud, 
(for we had been asked whether we would walk or 
ride, as if walking were a thing possible,) we were set 
down in the crowded street of Pera, before the door 
of the English hotel. 

We were shown directly to our apartments, and the 
first sight of a room — large enough, if divided, to make 
three ordinary drawing-rooms — affected us somewhat 
like the entrance into a museum. Passing through it we 
found our sleeping apartments, consisting of three or 
four consecutive divisions of the length of the large hall, 
which formed the back part of the building. They were 



6 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



scantily but comfortably furnished, and commanded a 
view of a portion of the sea and some interesting parts 
of the city ; but the prospect of the smiling garden 
and grounds connected with the French palace, that 
lay directly beneath our windows, was more cheering 
and less strange than any other object. 

The large hall that was to be our drawing-room had 
neither stove nor fireplace ; and the day after we be- 
came its occupants the weather was so cold that it 
snowed nearly all day long. A large copper vessel, 
called a mangal, in which were three or four quarts of 
burning charcoal, was placed in the room, around which 
we all huddled, in the vain hope of making ourselves 
comfortable. If we succeeded, as we sat crouching 
over it, in getting a little glow into our blue noses, and 
in thawing the benumbed ends of our fingers, it was at 
the fearful expense of severe headaches and dizzy brains. 

In consequence of our bitter complaints and pitiful 
appeals for a more comfortable apartment, or at least 
the privilege of having a stove put up, another mangal 
was added, and large screens of baize or something of 
the sort were dexterously spread round the vessels of 
coal, forming a little circuitous apartment, within which 
we sought a shelter from the cold air of the large space 
that surrounded it. Here, indeed, we passed many a 
merry evening, enlivened by the society of the agree- 
able officers of the ship ; and a more felicitous tableau 
of some scene of incantation could not well be devised, 
than was presented by the little circle who sat with 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



7 



chattering teeth and shivering limbs over the blue fire 
that formed the centre of attraction. The deleterious 
effect of the charcoal fire was supposed to be obviated 
by throwing upon the coals bits of orange peel and 
other aromatic substances, as is customary in the East ; 
but the remedy was unhappily ineffectual, for every 
moment passed in that atmosphere was sure to be re- 
quited by vertigo of the brain. 

After passing some days in this idle and useless con- 
dition, for we were unfitted for any employment, we 
succeeded in procuring very comfortable and warm 
rooms in the hotel then kept by Madame Giuseppina. 
This was a fine stone building, and we felt a pleasant 
degree of security in a habitation where the iron shut- 
ters and thick walls bade defiance to the devastating 
fires that so frequently lay waste large portions of the 
city. The front of the house was on a square, upon 
two sides of which were dwelling-houses of very un- 
oriental aspect, but upon the fourth side rose tall and 
gloomy cypresses, and from the windows one might 
look down into the dark thicket, where, upon the un- 
even ground, was a no less dense collection of tomb- 
stones, sometimes standing, but, alas, more frequently 
tottering or fallen in neglected disorder. The Turkish 
tombstone, if it mark the grave of a man, is sur- 
mounted by a turban, and the diversity of forms shows 
the different generations that have passed away. These 
round-headed turbaned stones have very much the ap- 
pearance of dwarfish imps, and one almost expects a 



8 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



pail- of goggle eyes to be peering from beneath the 
well-executed folds of white or gray stone. Those 
erected for women are decorated with wreaths or 
bunches of flowers. Both kinds have inscriptions, and 
are often colored and highly gilded. Sometimes they 
are of a bright azure blue, richly decorated with gilt, 
and extremely beautiful. 

Looking over this sombre grove of cypress at the 
foot of the declivity to which it stretches, one beholds 
the arsenal for the troops, and the parade ground, always 
gay with red fezes, where the well-dressed soldier 
might be seen from an early hour of the morning until 
night going through the drill to the monotonous, un- 
ceasing sounds of the fife and drum, which, even at the 
distance at which our room was situated, rang in our 
ears quite too distinctly. 

Near to the arsenal was the Custom-house, jutting 
out into the Golden Horn ; and amidst the slender, 
gracefully pointed kdifcs, with one, two or three pairs 
of oars, which is the common number — looking at the 
distance from which we saw them like schools of large 
fish — might often be seen the larger and more beautiful 
Jcaik of some Pacha, his head and shoulders just visi- 
ble above the sides of the little boat in which he sate 
ensconced upon his rug and cushions, the four, six, eight 
or ten oarsmen, all white except the red head, pulling 
with all their might, while the fairy-like object glides 
swiftly up to the steps of the Custom-house. 

One of the bridges that connects Pera and Galata 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



9 



with Stamboul is visible from tlie same point, and the 
little boats, as they went shooting out from the arches, 
formed a pretty sight. Some of the noble Turkish 
frigates that were anchored in the Golden Horn stood 
proudly among the small craft. 

And on the other side of the Horn, as far as the 
line of vision is uninterrupted, lies the city of Stam- 
boul, a wide-spread amphitheatre of windows and roofs, 
so closely set that there seems no room for passages 
among them. Far beyond may be seen the Sea of Mar- 
mora, glittering in the sunlight and in the western sky, 
gorgeously radiant with the beams of the setting sun, 
which, as it sinks behind a dome of massive grandeur, 
throws its last brilliant rays upon the gilded points of 
the minarets. 

Often have I gazed long at those thousands of de- 
serted-looking houses, without chimneys, where no sign 
of life was to be seen, not even one curling smoke- 
wreath, in the coldest days of winter, and wondered 
what sort of life made up the sum of the days that 
were passed there ; and what sort of beings they were 
who, in a great city, could manage to go without din- 
ners, and not even enjoy the luxury of a cup of tea. 
But when evening came on, and darkness covered the 
face of all things, these solitary places were transformed 
into lamps of surpassing brilliancy, and the whole am- 
phitheatre was glittering with myriads of lights. It 
was a fairy-like scene, not to be fully imagined by any 

one who has never witnessed it. 
1* 



1 CONSTANTINOPLE. 

On Friday of every week, which is the Sunday of 
the Mohammedan, at the hour of sunrise the Turkish 
flag is raised upon all vessels, large and small, as also 
upon the flag-staffs and towers, and there remains until 
the going down of the sun. The effect of this exquisite 
banner of pure red and silvery white, dotting the water 
and waving upon the eminences, is extremely beautiful, 
but gives an aspect of martial festivity not exactly 
suited to our sombre notions of the observance of Sun- 
day. If the Sultan goes to mosque, as he generally 
does between the hours of eleven and twelve, one's 
ears are saluted by the heavy firing of guns. 

Soon after our arrival we had a fine opportunity of 
observing one of those gay spectacles which are con- 
stantly occurring on the Bosphorus to charm away the 
dulness of commonplace life. 

So long as our beautiful frigate remained to grace 
the waters, we received frequent testimonies of the 
generosity and courtesy of her excellent commander, 

Capt. L , who had won our esteem and friendship 

by his long-tried kindness and indefatigable efforts to 
promote our comfort, while we were partakers of his 
liberal hospitality during our voyage from Naples to 
Constantinople. . 

The Sultan was in the habit of worshipping at a 
mosque near his palace. Having been informed that 
on a certain Friday he would go by water to the 
mosque of St. Sophia, which is three or four miles from 
his residence, Capt. L invited us on board his ship, 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



11 



which occupied a fine position for observing the 
display. 

As the Sultan left his palace guns were fired simul- 
taneously from a battery adjoining and a Turkish 
frigate near by, which latter was decorated with the 
flags of various nations, among them that of our own 
country. Our frigate was at a considerable distance 
from the palace, so that we had ample time to watch the 
gilded, fairy-like barges as they approached us on their 
way. There were five or six of them, each having 
twenty-four oarsmen, dressed alike in white shirts of 
silk and crape and red fezes. The Sultan was alone in 
a white and highly gilded barge, differing from the 
others only in having a canopy of velvet and gold. As 

they came near Capt. L saluted with a tremendous 

crash, and as the Sultan passed along the firing con- 
tinued from French and other frigates, all highly deco- 
rated with banners. Loud guns from the Porte were 
also fired to announce his departure from the palace, 
and altogether it was a gay, exciting, and hearty dis- 
play of homage and adulation. It was a novel and odd 
way, though, to us Puritans, of going to church in the 
midst of the smoke and roar of cannon. 



CHAPTER II. 



TURKISH FONDNESS FOR FINE SCENERY — DOGS — STREETS OF PERA, ETC. 

It would seem as if the organ of sight were the one 
sense of the Turk, through which he receives his high- 
est gratification. That he has a taste for the beauties 
of natural scenery, may be inferred from the fine posi- - 
tions chosen upon the quays for palaces, and the com- 
manding eminences selected for kiosks or summer 
residences. The prettiest lawns and clumps of trees are 
resorted to for passing the days in listless idleness, 
where the eye, and the eye alone is feasted ; for gener- 
ally a crust of bread, and a handful of grapes or plums, 
or a full grown cucumber, constitute the meagre fare. 
Temperance in eating and drinking is a well-known 
characteristic of the Turk, but few have anj^idea of the 
extent to which it is carried. 

While all possible pains are taken to produce an 
effect upon the eye, showing his keen perception of 
objects and a high appreciation of beauty, he sits with 
an astonishing degree of composure, proving his au- 
ditory nerves to be none of the finest, unmoved by the 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



13 



torturing notes of the Bulgarian piper, or the yet more 
distracting, unearthly sounds that come from the canine 
pandemonium. • It was long before our ears were ac- 
customed to the discordant tones which issued from 
the councils of that multitudinous yelping race, and our 
ears tingle and our nerves shake afresh, as we call to 
mind the horrible sensation of slumbers disturbed by 
those demoniac cries. 

The dogs of Constantinople, living or dead, are the 
greatest nuisance of the place. They experience, in 
common with the rest of the world, the forbearance 
and long-suffering of the generous Turks, but are never 
taken into their houses, and they owe allegiance to no 
one. They divide themselves into separate districts, 
and are harmonious and peaceable enough when undis- 
turbed ; but woe betide the unfortunate stranger, man 
or dog, who ventures to enter upon the territories of 
these inhospitable creatures. If a man, he may be sure 
that his heels will long remind him of his fatal mistake 
or hardihood ; and if one of their own species, he is 
unmercifully hunted as an intruder out of the quarter 
where he has no birthright. The combined shouts of 
the assembly are instantaneously raised to deter the 
heedless transgressor, and active measures are taken to 
enforce the rigorous laws of this gregarious community. 
These animals take possession of all the waste places, 
picking up a scanty pittance where it may be found in 
the city, and are a lean, lank, bony race, party-colored, 
dirty white and yellow. It is a remarkable fact that 



14 CONSTANTINOPLE. 

hydrophobia is unknown among the dogs at Constan- 
tinople. 

The streets of Pera and its suburbs may defy all 
the world to match them in the inconvenience arising 
from bad pavements, dirt, crowds of donkeys laden 
with bricks and timbers for building, caravans of camels, 
and the taalikas or carriages of the higher classes of so- 
ciety that frequently blockade the passage. In the 
midst of this transportation of goods, chattels, and 
gentry, between buildings that encroach upon the high- 
way, which is minus sidewalks, the mixed and motley 
multitude of pedestrians that form the great portion of 
this Babel contrive to thread a tortuous course ; now 
arrested by long timbers that, fastened together and 
crossed upon the neck of the poor little animal, are left 
to fly apart and vibrate, threatening annihilation to the 
unfortunate object within their reach ; now warned by 
the tinkling bell that is suspended from the neck of the 
camel of the approach of the long train that follows ; 
here seeking shelter in the door of some shop from the 
rapid and heavy gallop of powerful chargers mounted 
by Turkish chiefs, whose arms are rattling upon the 
pummel of the richly embroidered saddle, and the nu- 
merous attendants who bring up the rear, — there dex- 
terously escaping a crushing pelt from a cargo of brick 
that nearly conceals the little victim doomed to bear 
it, who, in common with a score of his companions, 
left to their own guidance, totter hither and thither as 
if in practice for a tilting match. 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



15 



Here are seen a train of veiled women, Armenians 
or Turks, wrapped in the tight and ungraceful firadje 
or mantle which extends nearly to the ankle, shuffling 
along in yellow morocco boots set in a pair of heelless 
slippers of the same material ; there a party with much 
the same dress, distinguished by the large, round white 
head-dress, formed by a cushion placed on the head, 
over which is thrown a thick cotton veil that falls 
partly over the face. These are the poor Jewesses, 
who have been obliged to adopt the veil for protection. 
By far the greater number of women seen in the street 
are dressed very nicely, & la Franqaise, and might be 
mistaken for Franks, (as all are called there who are 
not Orientals,) if a fanciful head-dress of Greek char- 
acter did not mark their origin. Such persons are 
always attended by a shabbily-dressed old woman fol- 
lowing in the wake, close upon the heels of the younger 
dame or damsel, who neglects no artifice to set off her 
charms ; and certainly nothing is lost by a close con- 
nection with the witch, who, while she is avowedly a 
protectress, is undeniably no bad foil. The old women 
are usually the mothers, who, having had their day, re- 
sign themselves with commendable nonchalance to the 
neglect and desolation of ugly old age. 

Females protect themselves from the mire of the 
street, during bad weather, by pattens an inch or two 
high, which they manage with wonderful dexterity, 
sailing about over the slippery round stones with as 
much ease as if a smooth flagstone pavement were be- 



16 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



neath their feet. In truth, few women walk so well as 
the Greek. 

The hammed or porter, who bends under the weight 
of baggage that he transports upon his back, is a con- 
spicuous figure in the streets, as is also the sahka^ 
or waterman, who supplies families with water car- 
ried in a leathern sack borne upon the back and 
shoulders. 

Lounging pedlars, hawking their various articles of 
merchandise, are numerous, and common among them 
is one with a piece of unbleached cotton thrown over 
the shoulder, crying in a stentorian voice, "A??ieri- 

canaP 



CHAPTER III. 



DRESS OF THE TURKISH MEN DESCRIPTION OP THE HOUSES, PALACES, 

ETC. TURKISH WOMEN — THEIR AMUSEMENTS — -CHILDREN. 

Nothing can be more becoming than the dress at 
present adopted by the Turkish men of rank and high 
standing, also worn by Armenians and Greeks of the 
upper classes. It consists of a coat of fine black broad- 
cloth, single-breasted, buttoned with a row of small 
black buttons set closely together, and a narrow, straight 
collar; pantaloons of the same material, somewhat loose, 
and a red fez, with a long full tassel of dark blue silk, 
and thin shoes or boots of black leather. They have 
always the air of well-dressed, well-bred men, and, in- 
deed, there is nothing of vulgarity or boorishness to 
shock the most fastidious in the outward bearing of 
the multitude who throng the streets. 

The houses are built of wood, generally two stories 
high, with a kitchen and apartments for servants below. 
The upper story, which projects some feet beyond the 
lower, is reached by means of a flight of stairs leading 
from the large entrance hall below. It is commonly 



18 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



divided into a large central hall, from which diverge 
smaller rooms. These are always furnished with divans. 
This indispensable piece of furniture is formed of boards 
raised about a foot from the floor, along one side and 
end of the room, and is from three to four feet w T ide. 
The boards are covered with a hard mattress of straw 
or hay ten or twelve inches in thickness, and upon that 
is a thinner one of cotton or wool. At the back are 
cushions filled with hay, hard and square, or rather 
elongated, compactly ranged against the wall. The 
divans are usually covered with chintz, and over that 
is invariably spread a strip of thin white cotton cloth. 
These are used for reclining by day, and are the places 
of repose for Turks and Armenians during the night. 
There is seldom another article of furniture in the 
room, and the floors, made of some common white 



wood, are not carpeted, though usually matted. 

There is a curious arrangement for admitting 
strangers into houses of the less wealthy, that seems 
to be invented for the purpose of encouraging the 
lazy attendants, always, in the humblest families, 
amounting to three or four, in their habits of indo- 
lence. The fastening of the door is connected by 
means of a cord attached to some machinery with the 
upper apartments of the house, and when the visitor 
has signified his desire to enter by striking the great 
iron knocker, the door flies partly open, as if by 
magic ; not a face is visible, — the rattling, click-clack 
clashing sound of the machinery is heard, as it falls 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



19 



into place, resembling the noise of a loom and shuttle, 
then a voice from some old crone, leaning over the 
balustrade, demands by a peculiar toss of the head that 
accompanies her unintelligible jargon, the whys and 
wherefores of your visit. Happy the stranger who, 
without an interpreter, succeeds in ascertaining whe- 
ther the object of his visit is at home. 

In warm weather the street door is always open, 
and then one may be sure of finding two or three ser- 
vants loitering about the door. Families of wealth 
and those who live in much style have always a porter 
at the entrance. 

Houses of the higher classes, comprising officers 
of government, bankers, and rich merchants, however 
ordinary the exterior of the building may be, (and 
they are frequently in a very dilapidated condition, 
the brown boards pleading loudly for a coat of j^aint,) 
have rooms elaborately finished, with beautifully 
carved wooden ceilings, highly gilded and gaily col- 
ored with blue, red, green, yellow, &c, altogether 
producing a striking and pleasing effect. The sides 
of the rooms are nearly always of wood, more or less 
carved and variously ornamented. But the most 
elegant apartments have no furniture, unless the divan 
may be denominated such, not even carpets, which 
would, for certain reasons, be quite objectionable in the 
East. Marble fountains and conveniences for purify- 
ing, according to the demands of the Mohammedan 
religion, are usual in Turkish houses. 



20 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



Each side of the Bosphorus, beginning at the out- 
let into the Sea of Marmora, and extending nearly the 
whole length of it to the Black Sea, is lined with such 
buildings that have generally the high-sounding ap- 
pellation of palaces. They are often built upon piers 
or props of wood directly over the water, and the 
JcdiJc, by means of which the egress of its occupants 
is made, approaches directly to the portal. There is 
always at the side of the palace a small building for 
the reception and protection of the boat. 

All Turkish residences are divided into two parts, 
one of which is occupied by the lords of the house- 
hold, and the other is the department for the harem. 
If the house belong to a man of wealth, each of these 
divisions is subdivided into numerous apartments, and 
the building is consequently of great extent. 

The windows of the apartments occupied by the 
harem are closely latticed by fine strips of wood paint- 
ed white, which give a very neat and pretty effect to 
the building. These jalousies, as they might properly 
be called, answer the purpose for which they are de- 
signed, protecting the inmates from the gaze of all 
without, while they are sufficiently open to enable 
those within to see without inconvenience whatever 
passes around them. 

Doubtless the women thus screened, without any 
other occupation, find great amusement in gazing at 
the endless variety and oddity of the panorama that 
passes before their eyes, and one may fancy the idle 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



21 



kind of gossip that would naturally make up the sum 
of conversation among a class generally destitute of 
mental culture. Yet we made the acquaintance of cer- 
tain Turkish women of rank, who were and ever will 
be, to my mind, wonderful instances of native elegance, 
refinement, and aptness in the courtesies, ordinary 
civilities, and prattle of society. 

Turkish women are by no means confined to a 
life of solitude or imprisonment, and they would be 
scarcely tempted to exchange the perfect freedom 
and exemption from the austere duties of life, which 
is their acme of happiness, for all the advantages that 
might be gained from intellectual pursuits, or a differ- 
ent form of society. They roam in parties when 
they please and where they please, if it b*e not far 
from home, accompanied by slaves and various at- 
tendants. Their highest enjoyment is in passing the 
bright sunny days of their long summers under the 
broad-spreading plane-trees that are to be found 
beside every stream. At such places they may be 
always seen in little groups upon the grass, the great 
diversity of brilliant colors, and the white yashmac or 
veil that covers the head as well as face, enlivening 
the pictorial parterre. One might suppose that Turk- 
ish women studied the tout ensemble, since their parties 
consist of persons dressed in as opposite colors as pos- 
sible, such as green, pink, blue, and purple. The dress 
worn in the street is never party-colored, but entirely 
of some one tint. The little children who are ever of 



22 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



the party, and for whom, Iby the way, Turkish women 
have great fondness, are either by their side, or stroll- 
ing about, led by the hand of some mother or at- 
tendant. 

Boys and girls wear the same dress, and are the 
most comical-looking urchins possible. They can 
scarcely waddle about, so enveloped are they in fez 
and turban, one or two long loose jackets, and bag 
trowsers confined by a large shawl wound round the 
waist. Even they partake of the imperturbable grav- 
ity of their seniors to such an extent, that, during our 
long residence in the East, we never saw nor heard a 
child cry, or laugh, or evince any emotion. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE "SWEET "WATERS — SITUATION — MODES OP ACCESS — PETES — THE 
SULTAN HIS BODY-GUARD — GAY APPEARANCE OP THE MULTI- 
TUDE, AND ITS PASSIYENESS APPEARANCE OF TURKS IN THE 

CAPES — OCCASIONAL MENDICANTS — MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OP 
FRANKS — MODE OF GOING TO PARTIES — ALARM OF FIRE. 

In the month, of April, or the early part of May, when 
the Spring first opens, as it does at Constantinople 
with great joyousness and splendor, an immense 
multitude of the inhabitants resort on Friday to the 
Sweet Waters. This charming spot, through which 
meanders a little stream that empties here into the 
Golden Horn, of which this is the northern termina- 
tion, is a small alluvial plain, encircled by barren hills, 
and the rich green of the lawn and the luxuriant trees 
might remind any KTew Englander of one of his own 
delicious valleys. The appellation of Sweet Waters 
comes from the French Les eaux donees, meaning 
fresh water. 

There is a pretty kiosk here, built by the Sultan 
Selim, upon the bank of the stream, which, by means 
of a mound thrown across, is made rather broad, and 



24 



SWEET WATERS. 



forms a perfect mirror for the reflection of the little 
boats and other graceful objects that heighten the 
natural charms of the place. A light, neat, arched 
bridge, and the minaret of the little mosque, peeping 
from amid the embowering trees, are pretty features 
in the landscape. 

It is distant from Stamboul three or four miles, and 
by far the greater number of visitors reach it by water, 
but there are roads leading to it from different direc- 
tions. The Sultan resorts to it on those days, some- 
times with his barges, and sometimes on horseback, 
attended by his showy and gaily equipped body-guard 
of twenty or thirty men, well mounted on steeds glit- 
tering like their royal master's, in caparisons em- 
broidered with gold and studded with jewels. The 
dress of the body-guard is a red frock-coat with gold 
embroidery, blue collar and cuffs, blue pantaloons with 
gold lace at the seams, a rather high red fez, on the 
front of which is a star with rays embroidered in gold, 
a band and long full tassel of the same on one side, on 
the other a long green and white ostrich plume falling 
oyer the head. He carries a halberd of polished steel 
and gilt, extending high above his shoulders, to which 
is attached a long pennon of red silk. The dress is 
effective, and the men, who are all young and well- 
formed, look extremely well in it. 

On these gala days the unruffled and lucid surface 
of the Golden Horn is gay with the multitude of boats 
that are gliding on to the scene of festivity, and the 



SWEET WATERS. 



25 



shores are covered with motley crowds of persons 
loitering on the way. And then come pouring into the 
glen richly gilded taalikas^ with festooned curtains of 
bright colored silk, such as Queen Mab might fancy, 
drawn by one or two horses, guided by a man walking 
by the side of the carriage with long reins ; fantastic, 
roomy, springless arabas, containing a dozen persons, 
drawn by dove-colored oxen with red trimmings — the 
tail attached to a piece of bowed wood that is decorated 
with heavy tassels of red worsted, and, passing over 
the back, is fastened to the yoke. Frankish men and 
women on horseback, and occasionally a European car- 
riage, detract from the romance of the scene. 

Women and children issuing from the cushioned 
laalikas, in the bottoms of which they were seated 
& la Turque, and from the arabas and kaiks, attended 
by black slaves bearing rugs and cushions, pipes and 
nargiles, group themselves into little parterres ; and 
when the lawn is covered with the diversity of bright 
colors in all their various shades, it presents the gaudy 
appearance of a garden of tulips, and the bright red 
fezes of the men bear no slight resemblance to beds of 
poppies and dahlias. 

There may be seen scattered about among them a 
multitude of harlequins, who furnish the amusements 
that are to help while away the day. Bulgarians, with 
dancing bears and tambourines, others with bagpipes 
that know no rest, perhaps a few jugglers, and the list 
is finished. 

2 



26 



SWEET WATERS. 



Other persons seeming to possess slight power of 
locomotion are seen moving about, bearing on the head 
large trays of plates, cakes, and confectionary, or 
glasses of sherbet, and in the hand a stool, upon which 
the tray is to be deposited in case of patronage. The 
most acceptable of these delicacies to a Frank is the 
tdouJc-gdJc-sou — a jellied substance, made of the breast 
of chicken and rice, beaten and compounded together, 
served in saucers, and the rahat lokoom, (comfort to 
the throat,) made of the juice of grapes and honey. 
Mbhafflebi, another gelatinous article, made of boiled 
ground rice, is a favorite and agreeable food. A very 
common dish, called yoghurt, which is coagulated milk, 
is in great repute among the Turks. They assert that 
Abraham was instructed by an angel how to make it, 
and that Hagar, with her son Ishmael, was preserved in 
the wilderness by means of some that they chanced to 
take with them. 

The saJcJcd, or water-vender, with along-spouted jar 
in one hand, and a glass cup, temptingly clean and nice, 
in the other, is in great demand, as he threads his 
way among the crowd, crying, " Sou ! sooufosou ! " — 
water, cold water. 

The most remarkable feature of this gay and per- 
fectly Oriental spectacle, that for dreaminess and magi- 
cal absorption of the senses can never be surpassed, is 
the entire taciturnity that everywhere prevails, and the 
quiet, sedate, passionless expression of every counte- 
nance, Each one seems engrossed with his own thoughts ; 



SWEET WATERS. 



21 



all retain the position first taken ; there is no sign of 
life or animation, and the thought of the joyousness or 
hilarity that would characterize an assembly of French 
or Americans has never come into the minds of this 
ruminating people. 

A robe of some woollen stuff, lined with fur, long 
and easy, thrown open in front, is very much worn by 
middle-aged and old Turks and Armenians, and adds 
much to the usual dignity of the walk and bearing of 
the higher classes. It is in this dress that they are 
most frequently seen at the numerous cafes, where, re- 
clining on mats in balconies and courts, smoking chi- 
bouques and nargiles, or playing with a string of large 
beads, that are forever in the hand, they present envia- 
ble tableaux of contentment. 

Animated scenes of discord are sometimes witnessed 
in the streets, among the lower classes of Turkish and 
Greek women, who occasionally raise their shrill, sharp 
voices to such a pitch as to startle and stun one. 

In some of the more quiet and retired streets, away 
from the danger of being crushed to which they would 
be exposed in the crowded marts, the wretched mendi- 
cants are occasionally seen, seated under some high 
wall, and the passenger is arrested by the extended 
hand or muttered plea of these pitiable objects, who 
are not, indeed, very numerous, and are usually blind 
or maimed. To the praise of the humane Turk, it 
should be added, that he seldom if ever passes without 
dropping an alms into the withered hand. 



28 



SWEET WATERS. 



Parisian etiquette, manners, and customs, prevail in 
all the circles of society that have felt the influence of 
Franks. Nowhere are the laws of fashion a la mode de 
Paris so rigorously observed. There are numerous 
boutiques furnished with elegant and fanciful decora- 
tions in French millinery, and the richest of silks, vel- 
vets, and laces ; yet many ladies are in the habit of 
importing their wardrobes directly from the city of 
modistes. 

The strict observance of arbitrary rules extends even 
to the color of the riding dress and gloves, which are 
always white kid. French language is the language of 
society, and French dishes are a la mode. 

Frank ladies never go out unattended, and those of 
any rank are often preceded by a cavasse, who is a sort 
of official personage, invested with authority to clear 
the way, and exact other higher though not more im- 
portant acts of obedience. Following in the rear are 
usually two or three servants, and as people are not 
happy enough to find room for the social position of 
two abreast, the whole party, scattering along in Indian 
file, makes quite a formidable appearance. 

The most severe lesson to be learned in the ups and 
downs of the streets is proper heed to one's ways ; and 
this is all the more difficult to accomplish, in conse- 
quence of the never ending variety of attractive and 
novel objects that meet the senses. 

The usual manner of going to parties is in a sedan 
chair, or chaise a porteur, as it is always called there. 



SWEET WATERS. 



29 



As the streets are not lighted, a man with a large lan- 
tern precedes the cavalcade. These lanterns, of glass, 
are nearly a foot square, and like every thing in that 
country, are graduated according to rank, containing 
two, three, or more candles, as the condition of the 
person may demand. 

While at Madame Giuseppina's we had an opportuni- 
ty of witnessing something of the confusion and dismay 
that prevail in this city of tinder-boxes, in case of an 
alarm of fire. It was about ten or eleven o'clock in 
the evening that flames, shooting suddenly up from a 
small wooden building adjoining our back court, threw 
a fearful light into the windows of our house. At that 
moment we experienced the benefit of thick walls and 
iron shutters. Great dispatch was used in closing the 
latter, and we felt ourselves in comparative safety. 
Still, there was no small degree of consternation, for if 
the fire were not extinguished, and the whole mass of 
inflammable substance around us were to be in a confla- 
gration, there would be little security even in our 
house. The hissing of the water applied to the heated 
shutters was no very composing sound, and was even 
more thrilling to the nerves than the discordant cry of 
the rabble in the street. In the midst of all, it seemed 
at least prudent to prepare for the worst, so we packed 
our trunks, and awaited the issue, nothing doubting 
that, in case of necessity, we could easily take refuge, 
with our effects, in some house on the opposite side of 
the square. While thus prepared, and composedly 



30 SWEET WATERS. 

awaiting the result, we heard something of an uproar 
in the hall below, and in answer to our eager inquiries 
for the cause, (it may be naturally supposed we were on 
the qui vive^j the consoling reply was, that one of the 
boarders, a person of distinction, had ordered his 
trunks to be removed, and when at the door, expecting 
to make his egress with them, he found it barred and 
locked, and the key withdrawn. He demanded libera- 
tion from such imprisonment, and was told that the 
door had been fastened to keep out the crowd of law- 
less vagabonds and pickpockets that was upon the out- 
side, ready to rush in if there was a chance, and that 
it would not be opened for any solicitation. It was 
in vain that the discontented man raged and threat- 
ened ; he was obliged, nolens volens, to await the issue. 
But the scene was rather a damper upon our hopes and 
plans, especially as it revealed to us the fact, of which 
we had not been before aware, that the whole large 
square in front of our house was filled with a rabble, 
who were only waiting for an opportunity to plunder. 

And now we could fully realize the hapless fate of 
our friends and countrymen, the missionaries, who have 
been often tried and suffered great loss upon similar 
occasions. After repeated and vain struggles to save 
valuable books, and, indeed, all that was most precious 
and easy of removal, they usually came to consider the 
thing as altogether hopeless. The instant any thing 
was borne into the street it was seized by the uncon- 
trolled pickpockets, or deluged by water, and nothing 



SWEET WATEES. 31 

more was seen of it. Happily for us we were not ex- 
posed to such disasters. The fire was fortunately 
checked, but we had quite enough of the threatenings 
to make us grateful for our strong-hold. 



CHAPTER V. 



HOUSE AND GARDEN AT THERAPIA — YISITS TO STAMBOUL — KAlKS — EX- 
CURSIONS ON THE BOSPHORUS THE CASTLES, PALACES, AND TIL- 
LAGES THAT LINE ITS SHORES BEBEC THE MISSIONARIES- 
SCHOOLS, ETC. 

Early in the summer we left our lodgings at Pera, and 
took a house at Therapia, which is a small Greek vil- 
lage on a little bay of the Bosphorus, about twelve 
miles, or two hours, from Stamboul, and not far from 
the entrance to the Black Sea. The house was charm- 
ingly located, about one-fourth of a mile from the vil- 
lage, which was at the extreme end of the bay or inlet. 

The deep and transparent water was nearly at our 
threshold, being separated by only a narrow road or 
quay, and we had a full view of it to the Asiatic side, 
two or three miles distant. In our rear was one of the 
characteristic gardens of the country. A level space 
of more than an acre was terminated by a stone wall 
or terrace, of fifteen or twenty feet in height, which, 
like a similar one dividing us from an adjoining garden, 
was overhung with luxuriant ivy. This part of the 
garden was devoted to orange and lemon trees, flowers, 



THE R API A. 



33 



and arbors, and although somewhat stiff and formal in 
its design, was deliriously sweet and lovely with ver- 
benas, jasmines, passion-flowers, pinks, and roses. 
Mounting one terrace by a flight of stone steps, and 
then another, we found our toil rewarded on one side 
by an extensive view, reaching to the Black Sea, and 
on the other, by an interesting prospect of undulating 
country and small villages. In the season for grapes 
there was a gratification of another sort to be had, for 
the hill-side was covered with a fine vineyard. 

The building, thus located, for many months our 
agreeable home, presented outwardly a very respecta- 
ble appearance, but the interior would scarcely be 
deemed either comfortable or commodious by the oc- 
cupants of the more luxurious houses of our own coun- 
try. ' It was large, but the space occupied by the halls 
left very little room for use. The walls were of plaster, 
and had at some time or other been whitewashed, and 
the doors and wainscotings were among the "have 
beens," showing the dim remains of paint. The ceil- 
ings were of painted wood in mosaic work, of great 
beauty ; the floors and broad stairs were of white wood, 
and during the summer months, in a country where 
frequent washing is absolutely necessary, were delight- 
fully cool and agreeable. 

The house was furnished with divans, which we soon 
regarded as necessary to our comfort ; but let me say, 
lest any one should suspect us of becoming heretics, 

that we surrounded ourselves with the appurtenances 
2* 



34 



BOSPHOEUS. 



of civilized life, and ate, drank, and slept like Christians, 
having bedsteads for the latter purpose, and for the 
former, a Greek cook, who supplied our table with sa- 
vory dishes, a la Franqaise. 

We had occasion to go frequently to the bazaars of 
Stamboul for some article of furniture, and the novelty 
of a voyage in the swiftly-gliding little kaik had a great 
charm for us. Our first lesson in the use of these tot- 
tering, fragile shells, was the necessity of stepping, with 
great care and skill, directly into the centre of the line 
of the boat, as by any deviation to the side there was 
great danger of upsetting it. That ticklish manoeuvre 
accomplished, the most difficult art to attain was that 
of accommodating one's self in some way to the narrow 
bottom of the boat, where one might take a position 
across or lengthwise ; but the attitude once taken must 
be maintained during the excursion, as any movement 
endangers the balance of the light and unsteady boat. 

During our first excursions up and down the Bos- 
phorus there was very little irksomeness from such a 
confined and unvaried position, even during the two 
hours necessary to reach Stamboul, so great was the 
fascination and charm of the romantic scenery, and the 
endless interest awakened by the different species of 
craft, and above all, the attractive and beautiful palaces 
and kiosks of the sultans and pachas. The infinite va- 
rieties of architecture as well as color, the curious ceil- 
ings, of which one gets a satisfactory glimpse while 
passing beneath the open windows, the venerable tnr- 



BOSPHOEUS. 



35 



baned heads (which might honor a philosopher) peeping 
out of them, the stolen vision of gardens of roses and 
cypresses lying beyond the open gate, the women shuf- 
fling along upon the quays, the effendis, walking or 
riding, followed by the never-failing pipe-bearer, the 
poor little donkeys with open panniers of black bread, — 
all these, and a thousand other objects, afford an un- 
wearying inducement to the stranger to undergo the 
miseries of a cramped position. 

Roumeli Hissar, or the Castle of Europe, with its 
numerous round towers and massive embattled walls, 
rising from the water's edge and stretching up the 
sloping promontory, stands proudly pre-eminent and 
attractive. On the opposite shore is the less imposing 
Anadoli Hissar, or Castle of Asia, built upon a low 
promontory, near which is the GieuJc Sou, or Sweet 
"Waters of Asia. 

Some of the largest and most beautiful palaces, be- 
sides those of the Sukan, belong to different female 
members of his family, and although of little architec- 
tural merit, are peculiar and striking. They are of 
great length, and built so that one story projects above 
another by means of curved timbers, and the upper 
rooms overhang the quays in front of them. The mul- 
tiplicity of latticed windows gives them lightness, and 
has a pretty effect. The palace of Said Pacha, near to 
them, with numerous projections, and in the same style 
of architecture, is situated directly upon one of the 
rapids, where it is necessary to take men with ropes, in 



36 



B0SPH0KUS. 



ascending the stream, the current being too strong for 
the oarsmen to manage without their aid. Palaces of 
more imposing and solid architecture are finding place 
amid the fanciful Oriental styles of building, which 
seem so happily adapted to the surrounding scenery 
that one could wish the perfect harmony might never 
be disturbed. 

One of the prettiest of the many villages on the 
European side is Bebec. It is built upon one of the 
numerous hills that form the shores of the Bosphorus. 
The houses rise one above another, upon terraces of 
stone, mantled with creepers and flowers springing 
from their crevices ; trees and gardens are interspersed, 
and a large kiosk crowns the summit of a hill beyond. 
The streets are unusually clean and quiet for an Orien- 
tal town, and upon one of them, in the lower part of 
the village, is shown a very small, old building, distin- 
guished for having been the summer residence of Lady 
Montague. Near the landing is a favorite kiosk of the 
Sultan, standing over the water, and a little grove of 
plane and other trees, with luxuriant branches and 
foliage, furnishes an attractive and agreeable resort for 
the inhabitants. A cafe, which is the sine qua non of 
every retreat, is close at hand. 

This charming and picturesque town is endeared to 
me by the recollection of many agreeable hours passed 
in the families of our excellent and highly esteemed 
missionaries, who have there a flourishing school for 
boys, under the control of Mr. Hamlin. The boys of 



MISSIONARY SCHOOLS. 



37 



this school, besides the religious instruction they re- 
ceive, are thoroughly taught in all common branches 
of education, and in the arts and sciences connected 
with mechanics and agriculture. There is a small farm 
belonging to the mission, where lessons are practically 
illustrated, and through the ingenuity and enterprise 
of Mr. Hamlin, the school has been furnished with a 
chemical apparatus, foundry, bakery, &c. 

The school for girls, which was formerly in the 
house of Mr. and Mrs. Everett, at Bebec, and under 
their judicious control, has been removed to a village 
on the Golden Horn. The number of pupils is large, 
and most of them manifest uncommon zeal in their 
studies, and are said to have a peculiar talent and 
fondness for mathematics.* The object of the teachers 
of both schools is to make industrious and useful 
members of society, and they are beginning to reap 
the reward of their labors in beholding many who were 
children of their care and solicitude ripened into vir- 
tuous, intelligent, and religious heads of families, who 
are, in their turn, rearing children for usefulness. 

In order to appreciate the full importance of these 
schools in foreign lands, one must consider the com- 
plete and universal ignorance and indolence that pre- 
vail where life is nothing but a barren waste ; and yet 
nothing is wanting but culture to yield all the rational 
enjoyments and happiness that spring from mental re- 

* These girls are mostly Armenians. 



38 



MISSIONARY SCHOOLS. 



sources and a true faith. Besides tlie pleasure and 
instruction derived from, an intercourse with the highly 
cultivated and agreeable little band of missionary- 
brethren, I had a feeling of pride and gratification in 
seeing the respect and regard shown them by the com- 
munity, upon which their honest course had made a 
marked impression. 



CHAPTER VI. 



BAZAARS — DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS — STREETS OF STAMBOUL 
— OBJECTS TO BE SEEN THERE — JEWISH GUIDES IN THE BAZAARS 
— DECEPTION AND DISAPPOINTMENT — VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF 
THE BAZAAR. 

The following interesting account of the Bazaars is 
taken from a work upon Constantinople, by the Rev. 
Robert "Walsh : 

" The great Bazaar or Charschey was erected by 
Mohammed II., when he took possession of Constanti- 
nople, and began to change its character from a Euro- 
pean to an Asiatic city, by introducing the edifices and 
usages of the East. It was afterwards re-edified by his 
successors, and its parts distinguished by Eski and 
Yeni, the old and the new Bazaars. They now consist 
of long avenues, covered over with lofty arches ol 
brick, lighted by apertures in the roof, and branching 
off in various directions. The ceilings of the vaults 
and other parts of the walls, are painted with various 
flowers and devices. On each side of the passage are 
counters or stalls, ranged along, leaving a wide way 
between. On the counter of each stall the merchant 



40 



STAMBOUL— BAZRARS. 



sits, generally smoking a chibouque or narghillai, with 
his crossed legs drawn under him. If he be distin- 
tinguished by a calpac or inverted cone upon his head, 
or a large, snow-white turban, he is either an Armen- 
ian or a Turk ; so he quietly abides his time, and suf- 
fers you to pass with imperturbable gravity, seldom 
condescending to ask your custom. If he wear a cross- 
barred handkerchief twisted round the crown of a hat, 
or a coarse muslin wound about a red fez, he is either 
a Jew or Greek, and is as importunate with you to 
buy as a salesman in Monmouth street. Behind him 
his larger wares are ranged against the walls, and his 
smaller in clumsy glass cases beside him on the coun- 
ter, where all articles are confounded in a heap. In 
his rear, is generally a low door, opening into a small 
room in the thickness of the walls, where his unex- 
posed goods are stored. 

" These edifices, filled with light and inflammable 
goods, are liable to danger from the constant fires that 
occur at Constantinople, though they are in some 
measure protected by their construction, and the thick- 
ness of the walls. When fires have penetrated, they 
have been attended with the most awful consequences. 
It has happened that both ends of the covered way 
have been blazing at once, and all egress prevented 
to the crowd within, and hundreds have miserably 
perished, either consumed or suffocated in these vaults 
of fire. In order to guard against this, no smoking or 
light of any kind is allowed ; notwithstanding this, the 

4 



STAMBOUL — BAZAARS. 



41 



inveterate propensity of the Turk is not to be con- 
trolled, and, relying on his unalterable destiny, he is 
often seen with the glowing bowl of his pipe thrust 
among the inflammable materials of his counter. 

" Every evening the Bazaar is closed with iron gates, 
and the merchants having locked up their wares be- 
hind certain partitions drawn before them, are seen 
wending their way in groups to the several quarters 
of the city in which each class is located, — the Jew to 
Balata, the Greek to the Fanar, the Armenian to Ypso- 
mathia, and the Turk to various quarters. 

" Under cover at ail times, and protected from wind, 
rain, and sun, this Bazaar is the resort of crowds every 
day and all day long. In the heats of summer it is 
particularly agreeable. People escape from the burn- 
ing atmosphere and an exposed, unsheltered street, to 
this retreat. It then resembles a subterranean city, 
crowded with a busy population of many thousand 
persons, bustling, buying, and selling, in the cool and 
dim twilight. But the fair sex form by far the majori- 
ty. It seems a privileged place, where the ordinary 
distinction of sect or caste is laid aside, and the Turk, 
Frank, and Raja, all mix and chat and bargain to- 
gether without restraint ; and it seems the only place 
where the pride and taciturnity of the Osmanli is laid 
aside." 

It is in the streets of Stamboul and its bazaars that 
the most bewildering variety of picturesque costumes, 
and the drollest and most amusing adventures are to 



42 



STAMBOUL— BAZAAKS 



be met with. One must have a head and nerves of 
iron to withstand the fascinating charm of the novelty, 
or endure the exhausting effects of images that crowd 
upon the sight, and the din of voices that reverberate 
through the arched roof of the bazaars. The loud 
trampling of horses startles you, and an Emir with a 
stately turban goes prancing by, or perhaps a Tartar 
fantastically bedecked and armed to the teeth with all 
sorts of weapons. Then comes an array of glittering 
officers of state or army, and never did the hoofs of 
proud horses strike the ground with more conscious- 
ness of grandeur. Here too, one sees a great display 
of beauty through muslin veils, of so delicate texture 
that they seem chosen in a spirit of coquetry to heighten 
the charms very imperfectly concealed. The damsels 
who wear them are usually reclining on cushions in 
luxurious taalikas, with a train of attendants. 

Stalls on every side present an attractive and per- 
plexing confusion of wares ; and while the stranger is 
vainly endeavoring to decide where to choose in the 
endless maze, he is startled by a man's voice at his ear, 
telling him in broken English, that he will show him 
where to go to make his purchases. If the stranger 
chance not to be skilled in the devices of these cunning 
and trafficking Jews, who lie in wait for victims, he 
yields himself somewhat thankfully to the guidance of 
any one who will relieve him from his embarrassment. 
And then he goes with his artful conductor, who is in 
league with some brother Jew, or perchance a Greek, 



STAMBOUL — BAZAARS. 



43 



who has the required articles, and pays a double price 
for his ignorance. 

We have ourselves great sympathy and compas- 
sion for such suffering and deluded innocents, having 
felt the sensation of keen self-reproach that any Yankee 
may be supposed to experience, who dishonors the rep- 
utation for shrewdness generally conceded to his coun- 
trymen. 

Having occasion to get several pieces of muslin for 
household purposes, that it was important should be of 
a certain width, we resorted, in our haste, to the rather 
unmathematical way ladies sometimes have of taking 
the measure upon a piece of tape, designating by a 
knot the width required. 

We did not expect to find easily the material as 
wide as was necessary, and went prepared for difficul- 
ties and disappointments. We passed on through sev- 
eral bazaars, disdaining the frequent invitations from 
the bobbing and nodding heads that were raised at 
our approach, and at length halted, from mere caprice, 
(for there was no better reason,) before the counter of 
a Greek, whose physiognomy certainly did not recom- 
mend him. The desired article was inquired for ; he 
showed something that had the proper color, the 
measure was applied, and the piece was found wanting 
in width. Before we had time to think, the measure 
was taken from our hands, with a sign that the real 
thing could be obtained elsewhere, and our salesman 
marched off with an obliging air to procure it. We 



44 



STAMBOUL — BAZAAES. 



were so certain of its being almost impossible, that we 
took another direction with our servant, and after a 
long and vain search, returned to inform ourselves of 
the success of the accommodating merchant. Great 
was our surprise to find that the width corresponded 
with the length marked upon the tape, and yet we had 
our misgivings, for the cloth did not look wide enough. 
But we were too much bewildered and fatigued to 
have any confidence in our judgment, so we loaded 
down a hammal with the pieces, and took them home. 
Too tired to examine that night whether it would 
answer the purpose or not, we left it until the morn- 
ing, when lo ! it was found to fall two or three inches 
short of the width required. The rogue had cut off 
the end of the tape ! 

One is a good deal surprised to find in the bazaars 
so few articles of Oriental manufacture. Nearly all 
the goods are European fabrics. English cottons of 
every description abound, and French Thibets and 
Chdlis, of which the street dress of the Armenian 
and Turkish women is made, are found there of exqui- 
site quality and every possible tint. The shoe bazaars 
are the most showy, the bright-colored boots and 
shoes being paraded with admirable effect. But the 
places that offer the greatest temptation to extrava- 
gance are the bazaars where attar of roses, amber 
beads, pastilles, and a variety of knick-knackeries, 
purely Oriental, are alluringly spread out. Yet there 
is nothing that better rewards the trouble of a visit, 



STAMBOUL BAZAAES. 



45 



than the department containing the little cups of silver 
and gold, called zarf, in which the fingian, a small coffee 
cup of porcelain is placed, when coffee is presented. 
These little receptacles are here found of the most 
beautiful workmanship, and so richly studded with 
brilliant diamonds, that one might almost imagine the 
virtue of Aladdin's lamp not quite extinct. 

Perhaps the bazaar that is devoted to those insin- 
uating, irresistible, magical sources of comfort and 
consolation, rather exclusively appropriated to the 
stronger sex, might be the most attractive to the 
lovers of the chibouque and nargile, which, as every- 
body knows, are to be found there in all the various 
forms that the refined ingenuity of the luxurious Turk 
has been able to invent. The little embroidered sacks 
for tobacco, of endless variety of colors, often heavily 
wrought in gold, that are the indispensable accompani- 
ment of the chibouque in the hand of the pipe-bearer, 
form another extensive department. There are yet 
others for carpets and rugs ; and the silks of Broussa 
and Persia, it must not be forgotten, are to be found 
in all the bazaars appropriated to articles of dress. 



CHAPTER VII. 



VISIT TO BROUSSA ORIENTAL LIFE ON BOARD A TURKISH STEAMER 

HOTEL AT GEMLIK — DINNER A LA TURQUE — RIDE TO BROTJSSA 

— CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY AND TRAYELLERS — APPROACH TO 

BROUSSA MISSIONARIES — VISIT TO A HAREM ADVENTURES ON 

OUR RETURN POLITENESS OF THE TURKS — A NIGHT ON BOARD 

THE BOAT. 

Early in the summer, Miss B. and myself, accom- 
panied by a friend from the United States, a member 
of onr family, made an excursion to Broussa in Asia 
Minor. By a fatal combination of circumstances, 
we left behind us our saddles, which were indispensable 
to our comfort, and an interpreter, who was no 
less essential on such an expedition. 

We had taken our places in one of the small Turk- 
ish steamers that ply between Constantinople and 
Gemlik, and experienced an unenviable sensation of 
desolateness as the boat at last moved off, while we 
were yet straining our eyes to discern among the mul- 
titude of kaiks, that were going to and from the land- 
ing, the one that we hoped was to contain the articles 
needed to complete our comfort. But we made the 



TRIP TO BROUSSA. 



47 



best of it, and recovering from our disappointment as 
soon as possible, determined, like good philosophers, 
not to throw away the enjoyment of those novelties 
with which even the boat was furnished. 

We were in the midst of a scene of genuine Orien- 
talism. On one side of us was a bevy of women, squat- 
ting on the floor of the deck, yashmaced and firadjed, 
their black eyes, the only visible part of the face, peer- 
ing at us as curiously as ours were fixed upon them. 
The stern of the boat was appropriated to them, and 
they had each quilts, or comforters, or cushions, spread 
out, and different parties formed little squads who 
were provided with chibouques and nargiles, bread, 
confectionary, etc. They certainly seemed to take life 
very easily, with all the appurtenances of their domes- 
tic comfort around them, chattering like magpies, and 
we more than once wished it had been possible to listen 
a half-hour or so to their gossip. 

, The other parts of the boat were filled with Turks, 
Armenians, Jews, and Greeks, who of course made 
themselves comfortable upon their crossed legs, having 
recourse to the never-failing pipe. Consideration for 
our usages was shown by bringing stools from below, 
which we thankfully accepted. We had yet to learn 
how requisite to the comfort of an itinerant in the East 
is the rug or cushion that invariably forms a part of his 
equipments. 

When we reached the bay, upon which is situated 
the village of Gemlik, we were put ashore in a small 



48 



TRIP TO BROUSSA. 



boat, amid the distracting yells for more backsheesh, 
and proceeded directly to a khan or inn, the only one 
in the place near to the shore. We were shown into a 
room that presented rather an inhospitable aspect to 
hungry travellers, having neither tables, chairs, nor 
divans. 

Our faces were doubtless expressive enough of the 
discontent we felt, and by the addition of a few more 
unmistakable signs, our cicerone was made fully to 
comprehend our design of passing the night ; and tak- 
ing us down and up miserable flights of broken stairs, 
he showed us, with evident satisfaction, into a room 
where were, indeed, the boards of a divan, but wholly 
uncushioned. We made him understand that this did 
not answer our purpose, and in despair he rushed from 
the room, and soon returned with the cook of the boat, 
who, with his other accomplishments, had the all-im- 
portant one of speaking French. Matters were now 
soon explained ; but the expression of dismay that sat 
upon the faces of both men when they learned that 
the little carpet hand-bags constituted the whole of our 
travelling apparatus, was droll in the extreme. And 
now, for the first time, we learned that the thin mat- 
tresses of cotton, which we had seen spread out in the 
boat, are as inseparable from Turkish women, who pass 
a night from their homes, as a snail from its shell. 
Everybody is expected to furnish his or her own rug 
or mattress, and we had none. But our spirits rose 
with the adventures and obstacles that we encountered, 



TRIP TO BROUSSA. 



49 



and we only laughed at the rather cheerless prospect 
before us. 

Then, with a flourish of trumpets, our interpreter 
demanded, in the name of the landlord, whether we 
would have dinner ; and being answered in the affirm- 
ative, he asked upon what we would be pleased to dine, 
pouring into our wondering ears, in swift succession, 
the names of a multitude of dishes — in Greek, Turkish, 
French, or Italian, as they happened to occur to him. 
"We decided, hap-hazard, upon two or three ; but when 
our choice was communicated to the poor landlord, he 
was confounded, and honestly confessed that pilav, 
(rice and chicken,) and fried fish were all he could give 
us. We were very thankful to get even that, and glad 
to be left to the quiet of our own apartment. 

From our windows we could see all the amusing 
transactions in the court and street, which were filled 
with the crowds of men and women who had issued 
from the boat, and who, like ourselves, were bound for 
Broussa, but were going on that night. As five or six 
hours were required for the journey, and it would be 
at least ten or eleven o'clock at night before it could 
be accomplished, we had not dared to attempt it, par- 
ticularly as we had been well assured that the roads 
were bad. We were much amused at seeing the ar- 
rangement made for the women, and thinking what we 
w r ere ourselves coming to in the morning. All the 
rack-a-bone horses that could be found were brought 
forth for their use ; upon their backs were placed high 
3 



50 



TRIP TO BROUSSA. 



pack-saddles, and those were covered with the enviable 
mattresses, about which were stowed bundles, baskets, 
sacks, and what not ; and in the midst was mounted 
the fair dame, astride, bringing her feet forward, and 
placing them in stirups by the neck of the horse. 
Then the rope or halter was taken in the hand of a 
guide, mounted upon another horse, who led off at a 
slow walk. Camels and donkeys were among the beasts 
of burden, whose drivers were decked in harlequin 
costumes, and the whole formed a novel scene of bus- 
tle and amusement. 

Our dinner was served in due season, and as it was 
our first one a la Turque, is worthy of a description, 
and it has, moreover, the merit of not requiring a long 
one. A small stool called koor'see, about fifteen inches 
high, was brought in, upon which was placed the 
seenee'yeh or tray, of tinned copper, two or three feet 
in diameter, containing a dish of pilav, freshly caught 
fish, fried in olive oil and garnished with lemon, black, 
sour bread, which is the favorite kind of bread with the 
Turks, and some horn spoons. As one's thoughts, in 
the oddest possible circumstances, always revert to the 
loved ones at home, we all ejaculated, " How I wish 
our friends could see us," as we assumed our humble 
positions round the lowly board, and commenced an 
attack upon the really savory dishes. 

As we did not find our couches of a nature to pro- 
long slumber, we rose at a very early hour in the morn- 
ing, and some faint visions of the happiness in store 



TEIP TO EROUSSA. 



51 



for us flitted before our eyes as we saw the Rosinantes 
led forth, crouching under the towering pack-saddles. 
We descended with our shawls and hand-bags, and 
made the most we could of the former in covering the 
hard timbers of the saddle. We pleaded earnestly for 
bridles, and there was an expression of incredulity on the 
face of the sais or ostler when he assured us there were 
none, as if he thought we were not the sort of persons 
to be trusted with the guidance of horses. So there 
was nothing to do but to be led, and we submitted un- 
til the guide became heedless, either dropping the rope, 
or suffering it to fall loosely upon the ground, so that 
the feet of our horse became entangled, when we took 
the rope into our own hands, and got on better. 

The roads were unusually bad, in consequence of 
the spring rains, and we were obliged to resort to by- 
paths that had been preserved by the greensward and 
shrubbery from the destructive effects of the rain. 
These were rough and untrodden, over rocks and 
through tangled brushwood ; the latter, however, 
happily saved our limbs from dislocation, when, in con- 
sequence of the breaking of a girth, we were suddenly 
transferred from our lofty eminence to the lap of the 
green and elastic branches that were extended be- 
neath us. 

The country through which we passed is well known 
for its fertility, and we found the beautiful hills and 
valleys enamelled with an incredible variety of delicate 



52 



TRIP TO BROUSSA. 



wild flowers, many of which are cherished with great 
care in our gardens at home. 

We encountered caravans of camels, laden with 
merchandise ; goats were grazing among the rocks 
upon the rough hill-sides, which, interspersed among 
the smiling meadows, gave a grandeur to the scenery, 
and the valleys were covered with buffaloes. Ever 
and anon a shrill whistle in our rear, accompanied Tby 
the trampling of horses, startled us from some dreamy 
contemplation, and the next moment a party of fierce- 
looking Tartars flew rapidly by, all buried in weapons. 
In short, there was every thing about us to excite the 
imagination and contribute to the enjoyment of a lover 
of novelty. 

Every one we met regarded our small, unprotected 
party with looks of surprise, and indeed, as we beheld 
the knives, cutlasses, pistols, &c, that were thrust into 
the sash of each traveller that passed us, we began to 
have some misgivings as to our security, and were told 
at Broussa that oar simplicity and Frank dress had 
been our protection. 

Mount Olympus, crested with snow and ice, lay be- 
fore us, a beacon to our path. We knew that Broussa 
was at its feet ; but we had little anticipated the en- 
chanting and sublime prospect that burst upon us, 
when first, at a distance, we beheld the long array of 
domes and minarets towering from the midst of heavy 
masses of verdant foliage that quite concealed the rest 
of the town. We advanced slowly through the long 



BEOUSSA. 



53 



avenue of noble trees and up the extended paved road 
that leads to the hotel, where we were to locate our- 
selves for the eight or ten days of our visit. 

We made ourselves known at once to the two mis- 
sionary families who were then there, and who neg- 
lected no time. nor opportunity for showing us kindness, 
and contributed in every possible way to our entertain- 
ment and instruction, by accompanying us in our walks 
and rides, and explaining to us the many strange curi- 
osities of the place. We visited together the mosques 
and splendid tombs of the early sultans, and the spa- 
cious baths, supplied with water from boiling springs, 
collected in marble reservoirs, and covered with lofty 
domes. Frequently they became interpreters at our 
request, when we desired to chat with the Turkish wo- 
men, whom we several times accosted during our walks, 
and found very accessible. We were surprised and 
gratified at the respect and regard shown to these 
humble Christian missionaries in so purely Turkish a 
town. 

Through the kindness of Mrs. we had an op- 
portunity of visiting the harem of the Governor, where 

Mrs. was upon a very friendly footing, and this 

our debut in Turkish society was full of interest to us. 
The Pacha had but one wife, and we were received by 
her with the ease and dignity of manner usual in a per- 
son accustomed to refined society. She seated us upon 
the centre of a divan, that being the place of honor, 
and occupied one end of it herself. She was extremely 



54 



BROUSSA. 



affable and communicative, asking many questions, and 
making many pertinent remarks, in a spirit of genuine 
politeness and good-nature. She wondered much, at 
the courage we had shown in coming so far from our 
homes,— thought it was perfectly proper for Frank 
women to travel anywhere, but that the Turks ought 
to remain at home, where they were far more content- 
ed than they could be elsewhere. She spoke freely of 
the difference in our manners and customs, and al- 
though she had too much politeness to draw a contrast 
in favor of their own, it was plain enough what her 
thoughts were. She was certainly far from handsome, 
and past the middle-age of life, yet she had a sweetness 
of expression and an irresistible grace of manner that 
quite won us. 

Directly after we w^ere seated we were offered sweet- 
meats, served upon a superb waiter of silver and gold ; 
a small, beautiful basket of gold contained spoons of 
the same, and an empty one, the fellow to it, was to 
receive the spoons after they had been used. We had 
learned previously, while in Pera, the manner of taking 
sweetmeats when offered in the East, namely, to take 
one tea-spoonful from the dish, and place the spoon, 
after using it, in the empty cup always brought for that 
purpose. So we were prepared, happily, to go through 
the ceremony without making any discreditable blun- 
der. The conserve was followed by coffee, brought in 
a small silver kettle, suspended by three chains, while 
another slave bore exquisite little cups of gold upon a 



BROUSSA. 



55 



tray of gold and silver. A third filled the cups, and a 
fourth, taking the foot of the cup between the thumb 
and first finger, presented it to the guest. A fifth com- 
pleted the ceremony, by bringing a muslin napkin, em- 
broidered in gold and colors. When the cup was re- 
turned, the servant made use of both hands, placing 
the left beneath and the right above at the same in- 
stant. 

After coffee, pipes were brought, which Mrs. 

declined for us, saying that we were not accustomed to 
smoking. Madame went through the form of taking 
her pipe, the amber mouth-piece of which was richly 
set with diamonds, but she dismissed it after two or 
three whiffs. 

A large number of attendants were admitted into 
the room, who evidently came out of curiosity ; and 
we have since, on similar occasions, frequently noticed 
the good-nature that permits the slaves and attendants 
of a household to enjoy the novelty of such visits. An 
old woman, poorly clad, who was apparently some in- 
digent and infirm retainer, but not of the establish- 
ment, came in, and was very kindly noticed, our hostess 
from time to time addressing some remark to her. 
When she was about to retire she stooped to kiss the 
hem of Madame's robe, which she gently drew away 
from her, as if she did not wish such servile attentions. 

Previous to the conquest of Constantinople Broussa 
was the capital of the Turkish empire, and contains 
some of its oldest mosques, and its richest and most 



56 



BR0TTSSA. 



sumptuously decorated tombs.. Its position is lofty 
and grand, and the aspect of the town when seen from 
its level, or a little above, is very peculiar, buried, as 
the houses are, among groves of cypresses and mul- 
berry trees, which latter furnish to the industrious com- 
munity their means of subsistence. The manufacture 
of silk is carried on here to a great extent, and chiefly 
in small rooms that have little the pretence of fabriques. 
The town is extremely well watered from the little 
streams that flow down from the eternal snows of 
Mount Olympus, and every house is well furnished 
with fountains. 

Mount Olympus supplies Constantinople with the 
snow, which is in great demand there for cooling sher- 
bet. It is carried a distance of some miles, by mules, 
to a port, where it is shipped for the city, and is there 
afforded so cheaply and plentifully that the poorest per- 
son can obtain it. 

Through the kindness of our friends, we were able 
to procure fine saddle horses for our return, and they 
generously provided us with saddles, so that, equipped 
after a Christian sort, we had one of the most charm- 
ing rides possible, yet not entirely free from adventure ; 
for when at about half the distance from Gemlik we 
were overtaken by a heavy shower of rain that drove 
us for refuge into a shanty by the roadside. 

The number of warlike-looking horses, all glittering 
with embroidered saddles and housings, sheltered un- 
der the surrounding umbrageous trees, was somewhat 



RETURN FROM BROUSSA. 



57 



formidable to us, knowing, as we did, that their more 
dreaded proprietors were within the obscure place of 
refuge. The only alternative was to enter or be 
drenched, and we chose the source of discomfort that 
would be of the shortest duration. 

We entered a smoky, dingy hut, that had the earth 
for its flooring, and a small fire of brands and coals 
upon one side of it. We rather shrank before an ar- 
ray of well-dressed men, who had the air of gentle- 
men, but were beckoned to enter, when several of them 
arose, and in the most courteous manner offered us their 
rugs. When we accepted and occupied one, those by 
the side who thought smoking would be disagreeable 
to us, removed to a greater distance, or laid aside the 
pipe. This place was a sort of half-way cafe, frequently 
resorted to by those who were traversing the country, 
for the purpose of taking a whiff of the chibouque and 
a cup of their favorite beverage ; so there were the ne- 
cessary arrangements for such consolations. A rough- 
looking man was busy making and distributing small 
cups of coffee, as it was ordered ; and even his rude 
exterior enshrined a warm heart, for he did every thing 
possible to make us comfortable and to secure us from 
any annoyances. 

Thus our first hour's experience among the reputed 
barbarous Turks was surprisingly agreeable, neither 
had we ever occasion, upon further acquaintance, to 
change the opinion then formed. Afterwards, in some 
of our rambles among the lovely hills and glens about 
3* 



58 



RETURN FROM BROUSSA. 



Therapia, we were gratified and obliged by acts of po- 
liteness and gallantry not to be met with every day in 
countries boasting of superior refinement. We shall 
ever remember with gratitude the alacrity and tact 
shown by a party of equestrians who met us as we were 
walking by the side of a stream in a rather narrow 
pathway, (where there was, however, ample room for 
passing,) and perceiving at a distance that we were 
about to retreat for the purpose of avoiding their for- 
midable chargers, immediately dismounted, and gave 
their horses into the care of the ever-present sais, 
(groom,) who led them off from the way-side. 

These little attentions are always very much a mat- 
ter of course ; there is no bow that implies, " You are 
under obligations to me ; " but with an air of noncha- 
lance, as if it were a simple act of duty, they pass on, 
without even giving you an opportunity to express by 
look the heartfelt thank-ye. 

We passed the night on board the boat as we re- 
turned, and a more miserable place for repose could not 
well be thought of. The Turkish boats are furnished 
with only very small cabins and no conveniences for 
sleeping, for the reason that the people of the country 
never occupy them. Agreeably to their habit of living 
in the open air, they keep always to the deck of the 
vessel, by night as well as day. 

When we ascended in the morning from our suffo- 
cating den, we found the part of the deck appropriated 
to the use of the women strewn with inanimate heaps 



RETURN FROM BROUSSA. 



59 



of rubbish ; and while we were wondering what had 
become of the motley crowd of beings with which it 
was alive the evening previous, one head after another 
bobbed up from beneath the coverings, by which they 
had been concealed ; and as Turkish and Armenian 
women never change their dress for the night, their 
toilet was soon made. When Turkish women of rank 
chance to go from one place to another, which they 
seldom do, the cabin is chartered for their special use. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



A WEDDING AT THE PALACE OF THE GRAND VIZIER SPLENDOR OF 

THE GUESTS AND OF THE BRIDE — GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE 
FESTIVITY, ETC. 

In the course of the summer we had the rare good for- 
tune to be among the guests at a wedding feast of the 
son of the Grand Vizier. The marriage festivities 
among the Turks and Armenians are at the house of 
the bridegroom's father. 

We landed from our boat upon the quay, directly 
in front of the palace, at about ten o'clock in the morn- 
ing. The outer door was opened by a tall, ebony-black 
negro, and upon either side of the door within was a 
similar figure, having in his hand a long rod of polished 
black wood. The entrance hall was of vast dimensions, 
and filled with slaves, attendants, and many children 
of the guests. We were met at once by a woman who 
informed us that she was mistress of ceremonies, and 
were shown by her into a side-room, where we were 
relieved of our bournouses and seated upon a divan. 
Our. names, etc., were demanded, in order that we 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



61 



might be properly announced to Madame . "We 

remained sometime in this room, studying the costumes 
and faces of various persons, who, like ourselves, 
were waiting to be announced. 

On one side of the apartment, among many seated 
on a divan was one remarkable for her fine face and 
person, like the rest sumptuously attired, her head 
glittering with diamonds. She had an air altogether 
distingue^ and we were told she was the wife of a 
Pacha. Upon the other side were fifteen or twenty very 
youthful persons, all habited in rich silks, brocades, and 
cashmeres, some richly embroidered with silver and 
gold, and decorated with diamonds. The trousers of 
Turkish women are from two and a half to three yards 
long,, very full, fastened at the ankle, falling over the 
foot so as to entirely conceal it. The antari or robe 
is also very long, extending from the neck to the feet, 
and falling a half or three-fourths of a yard upon the 
floor, being of the same length before and behind, but 
for convenience, it is usually tucked into the shawl that 
forms a girdle for the waist. It is shaped something 
like a gentleman's dressing-gown, perfectly straight in 
the back, and a little gored at the sides, but without 
any fulness. The sides are left open ten or twelve 
inches above the ankle. The head is always covered 
with a cap or fez, or some fanciful head-gear. Upon 
the foot is worn a richly embroidered slipper. 

We were here served with sugar plums brought in 
glass dishes on a tray of silver • this was followed by 



62 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



coffee, borne by a slave in a small silver kettle, sus- 
pended by chains, and having the appearance of a cen- 
ser. The coffee was poured by another slave into 
porcelain cups, that were placed in the beautiful zarf 
of gold, richly set with diamonds, and handed to per- 
sons of high rank ; others received only cups of gold, 
as even these little matters of etiquette are graduated 
according to rank. „ 

When our coffee was disposed of, we were con- 
ducted up stairs, where, in a room apart from the 
crowd, we were presented to Madame , who receiv- 
ed us very graciously and invited us to sit down. After 
all necessary preliminary speeches, we were asked to 
go to the apartment of the bride, which was up another 
flight of stairs. The crowd of persons in the halls and 
on the stairs was so dense that it was with the great- 
est possible difficulty we made our way through. 

At length we reached a spacious room well filled, 
not crowded, with a mixture of Frank and Oriental 
costumes ; for there were present on the occasion all 
the ladies of the different European legations, besides 
some other Franks. 

The bride was seated at the end of the room oppo- 
site the door, on a divan covered with crimson cash- 
mere, richly embroidered in silver. She was sur- 
rounded by cushions of the same, and over her head 
was a canopy of blue and yellow silk. Her dress was 
of scarlet cashmere, heavily and tastefully wrought 
with gold, the antari and trousers being of the same 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



63 



material. A closely-fitting fez, nearly concealed by 
wreaths of diamonds, in the forms of flowers and fruit, 
covered her head. From the left side projected un- 
gracefully, two long ostrich feathers, one red, the other 
lilac, and a" veil of silver lace two or three feet in 
length, fell on each side of her face. Her long, glossy 
black hair, plaited and curled at the ends, hung down 
her back. Her fingers were loaded with rings of pre- 
cious stones, and in her lap was a red silk pockethand- 
kerchief. Her face was very beautiful, the complex- 
ion slightly brunette, with fine color, the eyes black, 
bright, and sparkling, and the splendor of the tout 
ensemble was heightened by the odd decoration of dia- 
monds upon the face. Clusters of diamonds, in the 
form of a star, were placed, one upon the forehead, one 
upon the chin, and one upon each cheek. She was 
surrounded by slaves, one of whom was constantly 
fanning her with a large fan of peacocks' feathers. 

By the side of the bride was a very beautiful sister, 
who had been married about a month before. She 
was dressed in much the same manner, with the ex- 
ception of the ornaments on the face and the feathers. 
No one spoke, there was no presentation, and the 
position of the bride seemed painfully embarrassing, 
as all the world went up to look at her ; yet she met 
and returned our gaze with the unflinching eye of an 
eagle. We were delighted to see her awkward con- 
dition relieved by the entrance of a beautiful and at- 
tractive little Circassian girl, who flew into her arms 



64 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



and received her embraces and caresses. This child, 
about six years old, had been adopted by the Grand 
Vizier as his own, and both he and Madam were ex- 
tremely fond of her. 

Leaving that room we came to another which con- 
tained the trousseau of the bride. Here were the most 
costly dresses of rich silks and superb embroideries, 
magnificent cashmere shawls, gems, slippers, &c. 

Descending again, we encountered fearful crowds, 
among whom the bearers of the nargile and chibouque 
were the most formidable. There were numerous 
large apartments, and we wandered about among 
them, wondering at the sumptuousness and splendor 
of all we saw. At one hour groups might be seen in 
every room, round the Jcoorsee, or little table of wood, 
inlaid with mother of pearl, &c. The seenee'yeh, or 
tray of silver, or silver and gold, of exquisite work- 
manship, and the indispensable basin and ewers of gold, 
were found everywhere. 

The Mohammedan always washes his hands, and 
sometimes his mouth, with soap and water before sit- 
ting down to the table, and for this purpose a servant 
brings him a basin and ewer, both of which are inge- 
niously contrived for their several uses. In the centre 
of the basin is a small compartment for soap, which is 
surrounded by a perforated plate, so that the water 
passes through, and thus the basin may be used by sev- 
eral in succession, the plate always presenting a clean sur- 
face. One person holds the basin or tisht, while another 



TURKISH "WEDDING. 



65 



pours the water from the ewer or ibree 'cJc, over the 
hands, and a third offers a napkin, which, among the 
higher classes, is commonly of thick muslin, with a 
border of embroidery in gilt and colors. 

Of course we did not wish to intrude while the 
process of dining was going on, for we would not have 
been guilty of any act of rudeness towards persons 
who are in the highest degree well-bred, and who 
would be quite as observing of us, as we might be of 
them, and even more critical in their remarks. 

Yet the whole assembly formed such a strange and 
curious spectacle, that it was nearly impossible, with all 
the biting of lips and various other ways of suppressing 
emotion, to subdue the surprise and pleasure occasioned 
by it.. In one place would be seen a bevy of elderly 
matrons, gravely attired, while precious jewels were 
displayed upon the heads of their slaves, who stood 
about them to protect them from the crowd. We 
were much struck with the ease and dignity of this 
class of persons, who were generally the wives of 
Pachas, and among them was a sister of Abbas Pacha. 

The more youthful of the company were arrayed in 
robes of pink and blue satin, or superb brocades of 
silver and gold, and an almost bewildering glitter of 
diamonds. Belonging to this class were three of the 
Sultan's wives, one of whom, a Circassian, had beautiful 
features and fair complexion, with a refined but soft 
and drowsy cast of expression. She was sumptuously 
attired in a dress of rose-colored cashmere, with gold 



66 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



and silver embroidery, her head decorated with a fan- 
ciful little cap of velvet, loaded with diamonds. The 
other two were coarse brunettes, with no pretensions 
to beauty, according to our notions, and were also 
magnificently dressed. 

Pipes, with amber mouth-pieces and nargiles, were 
universal, yet there were no disagreeable fumes of 
tobacco ; on the contrary, a redolence of the sweet 
balms and spices of Arabia seemed to comport with 
the dreamy listlessness that pervaded this scene of 
enchantment. One almost expected the moment, 
when, by some talismanic power, the universal quiet 
and repose should be disturbed, and the inanimate, 
statue-like figures, spring to life at the touch of some 
magic wand. Coffee was passed about continually 
during the day. 

Late in the afternoon might be seen women, both 
young aud old, at their devotions, in some retired 
apartment. The cashmere shawl that encircled the 
waist was removed, the richest ornaments were laid 
aside, a piece of white muslin was thrown over the 
head, and kneeling upon the praying carpet, which is 
kept sacred by every man and woman for this purpose, 
and was, in this case, sometimes of white embroidered 
satin, they went devoutly through their form of prayer, 
always facing the East, toward the holy city of Mecca. 

A dinner, a la Frangaise, was provided in one of the 
upper rooms for the few Franks who were present, where 
Madame presided with much dignity. The various 



TURKISH WEDDING. 



67 



courses consisted generally of French dishes, but there 
was occasionally a specimen of Turkish cookery, not at 
all to our taste. There was an endless variety of meats 
and confectionary, gotten up with a degree of taste and 
elegance that would have done credit to a professeur 
at Paris. The plates and dishes were of silver, the 
knives and forks of silver and gold, and the table was 
beautifully decorated with handsome glass and flowers. 

It was estimated that there were two thousand per- 
sons present, (of course all women,) including attend- 
ants. The bridegroom, with his friends, celebrated the 
festival in the apartments of his father. The wedding 
ceremony had been performed, at early dawn, at the 
house of the bride. The festivities were to continue 
for three days. 

The garden was thrown open for the poor and ple- 
beians who chose to come and enjoy the music, danc- 
ing, and jugglery provided for their amusement. The 
immense crowd collected there, and the numerous Jc&iJc- 
jis and other attendants, partook liberally of the prince- 
ly entertainment. 



CHAPTER IX. 



RIGID OBSERVANCE OF THE TURKISH FAST FEAST OF BAIRAM PRO- 
CESSIONS — SULTAN — CEREMONY OF BAISE-PIED. 

The Turks have a fast of a month, which they ob- 
serve with extreme rigor. They deny themselves food 
from sunrise to sunset, not even taking a glass of 
water, and the gratification of the chibouque is dis- 
pensed with. The most laborious classes never indulge 
in any thing until after the firing of the sunset gun, 
and one may believe that the sound which is to liber- 
ate them from such painfully scrupulous observance of 
the ceremonial is received with all the manifestations 
of pleasure of which a famished body is capable. 

During this period those in high life usually doze 
away the day ; but for the poor laborer, and especially 
the JcdiJcji, whose arduous duties are as indispensable 
as at any other time, there is no mitigating oblivion. 
Let it be said to his credit, that he bears himself un- 
der his privations like a true philosopher, performing 
cheerfully and faithfully the task imposed upon him. 

This fast is terminated by the Feast of Bairam, 



FEAST OF BAIKAM. 



69 



which continues three days. The ceremony of baise- 
pied, which takes place on the first morning of the fes- 
tival, is open to strangers, and is purely Oriental in its 
character. 

The Sultan goes at sunrise, in great state, to the 
Mosque of Achmed, for prayer, accompanied by the 
pachas, officers, and soldiers. After that is over, he 
returns to the great court of the palace at Seraglio 
Point, where the ceremony of bcdse-pied, or kissing of 
the Sultan's foot, takes place. The fete is anticipated 
the previous evening by the firing of heavy guns from 
the batteries, illuminated minarets, &c. 

In order to be in time for procuring a good position 
to see the parade, we were obliged to go at a very 
early hour in the morning, and accordingly left Pera 
(where we had lodged the night previous, for the pur- 
pose of being as near as possible) before the day began 
to dawn. 

At the early hour of our entering Stamboul, the 
sides of the streets and the courts were strewn with 
bodies of the lower classes of men, who were sleeping 
there, where they probably found it more comfortable 
than in their own small rooms. But as we approached 
the palace, we found all wide awake and animated. 
Many taalikas and some other carriages were already 
there, besides many persons on foot. The gate was 
blocked up by a large number who had assembled, and 
soldiers were stationed there for the purpose of keep- 
ing order. 



70 



FEAST OF EAIRAM. 



Our cavasse soon procured an entrance for us into 
the outer court, where were long lines of soldiers in 
white pantaloons, red coats, and red fezes, armed with 
muskets. We were conducted to an apartment that 
overlooked the court, from which we had an opportu- 
nity of seeing the procession formed previous to going 
to mosque. Pachas, richly habited, were mounting no- 
ble Arab steeds, gaily caparisoned in saddles wrought 
with gold and studded with jewels, the sais always by 
the side of the restive animal, and were hurrying to 
the palace, where the Sultan was awaiting them. 

Just as the sun was rising above the horizon, the 
band struck up, and we saw the procession beginning 
to form in the far-distant part of the court. At length 
they came, — first, a long train of officers, in a dress of 
dark-blue cloth, richly embroidered with gold, white 
pantaloons, with gold lace at the seams, epaulettes, and 
red fez, well mounted upon horses nearly covered by 
rich housings, each one accompanied by the sais, whose 
hand was placed on the back of the horse ; after 
them came ten stately led horses, richly saddled, the 
heads decorated with plumes. Then followed the pa- 
chas, with servants and cavasses increasing in number 
according to rank ; after them six more led horses, and 
then the Sultan himself, on a fine bay Arab steed 
highly ornamented with trappings of rich gold em- 
broidery and diamonds, and a bridle glittering with 
the same. He was dressed in a frock coat of blue 
cloth, like the pachas, but more elaborately embroid- 



FEAST OF BAIRAM. 



71 



ered, and ornamented with diamonds, white panta- 
loons, gold lace at the seams ; a cloth cloak was 
thrown over his shoulders, the collar of which was also 
wrought with various sorts of precious stones. His 
fez was surmounted by a full heron plume, attached to 
the front by a very large diamond, and a large decora- 
tion composed of diamonds, among the finest in the 
world, was suspended from his neck. 

He passed directly under our windows, regarding 
us with a fixed look, as is his custom in passing Euro- 
peans ; and seldom have we seen a face that interested 
us so much, and the impression at first made was al- 
ways renewed whenever we saw him afterwards. His 
features were regular, and so delicate as to be almost 
effeminate ; but an expression of great seriousness, even 
sadness, so unusual in a person of his age, sat so grace- 
fully upon his youthful face as to make amends for any 
want of strength or manliness. No one could see him 
without feeling that his soul was penetrated with the 
responsibility of the difficult position he occupied, and 
that his gentle and refined nature shrank from assum- 
ing the arduous and almost impracticable duties that 
lay before him. 

The Sultan's body-guard, which has been before de- 
scribed, formed a lively feature in the pageant. The 
procession passed through the gate, and in about three- 
quarters of an hour returned from the mosque in the 
same order in which it went, a few moolahs or priests 
being added to the number. 



72 



FEAST OF BAIKAM. 



When they had returned to the palace, we were 
conducted to the inner court, where, mounted upon a 
low platform, we saw, very advantageously, the cere- 
mony of the baise-pied. 

A kind of sofa, which was perhaps the throne, was 
brought out into the court, and a large piece of gold 
cloth thrown over it. The Sultan's guard, officers, and 
soldiers, were ranged in long lines, and when all was 
in order, the great centre of attraction, Abd el Mdjid, 
issued from the palace, and took his seat upon the 
couch that had been prepared for him. 

The venerable patriarch of Mecca, with a flowing 
white beard, was the first to advance, habited in a long 
pelisse of pea-green broadcloth, with large long sleeves. 
The collar was embroidered with gold, as was also the 
upper part of the back, coming to a point between the 
shoulders. His head was covered with a red fez, and 
a large, gracefnl turban . of green and gold. As he 
made the selam, the Sultan rose to receive him. Then 
he appeared to make a prayer, and ended by a loud 
shout of " Long live the Sultan ! " which was echoed 
from the other parts of the court. He then kissed the 
foot of the Sultan, and retired. After him, another 
moolah, similarly attired, but not quite so showily, 
went through the same form, retiring backwards ; and 
then the Grand Vizier, followed by the numerous pa- 
chas, the Sultan standing to receive five or six of the 
highest rank. He then reseated himself to receive the 
others. Officers of the army and navy, and many gov- 



FEAST OF B AIR AM, 



ernment employes of inferior rank, only kissed the bor- 
der of the cloth of gold on which he sat. These were 
followed by a succession of the priestly order, some of 
them with venerable white beards, robed in green, some 
in drab, others in royal purple, and some in white, — all 
of them wearing turbans. Each one kissed the foot 
of the Sultan. 

And thus ended this spectacle, — interesting from 
its novelty, and perhaps among the last where the Sheik 
el Islam was to be pre-eminent. 

The morning was propitious : the sun rose in a sky 
of unclouded splendor ; but before ten o'clock, on our 
return to Therapia, we were overtaken by a tremen- 
dous squall of wind and rain, and completely drenched. 
It seldom rains during the six or seven summer months 
at Constantinople. It rained but twice during that 
season, and we chanced to be out in our little boat 

through both of the showers. 
4 



CHAPTER X. 



FISHERMEN'S HUTS IN THE BOSPHORTJS — STORMS IN THE BLACK SEA — 

CROWDS OP VESSELS IN HARBOR THE GREEK GIRLS OF THERAPIA 

— AN INCIDENT — THE CROATS AND GARDENERS. 

A very picturesque object in the Bosphorus is a sort 
of look-out for fishermen, of the rudest possible con- 
struction, formed of rough sticks of wood, thrown to- 
gether in so careless a manner as to appear quite inse- 
cure. Upon the top, which is perhaps fifteen feet from 
the water, is a kind of cabin, formed by spreading old 
matting, &c, over poles, which serves as a retreat from 
the winter storms, while the fisherman passes his days 
in watching the success of the nets that he has spread 
around him. He eats, drinks, and sleeps there, and his 
appearance comports very well with his habitation and 
mode of life. 

In the early part of winter, during the prevalence 
of the storms in the Black Sea, the navigation is espe- 
cially dangerous, and no mariner ventures into it until 
the weather becomes propitious. Occasionally some 
unfortunate being is caught there, in consequence of 



HAEBOR OF THEHAPIA. 



Id 



delay from calms, or perhaps from ignorance of the 
danger, but it is at the peril of his vessel and perhaps 
life. In general, the exposure is so well understood 
that the commanders of vessels put into port and wait 
for calm weather. The harbor of Therapia, indeed the 
whole of the Bosphorus, is at such times full of every 
description of vessel, belonging to all nations, some- 
times set off with the most comical figure-heads, upon 
which the Greeks, especially, display a great deal of 
fancy. Sometimes a woman is seen at the helm, prob- 
ably when the lord and master is incapable of com- 
manding himself. 

On the first fine day after the storm has past, when 
the wind is fair, these vessels sally out from their places 
of retreat, and with full sail commence their onward 
course. Nothing can be more beautiful than this array 
of ships, schooners, brigs, &c, rigged to the utmost, 
the sails gracefully distended with the breeze, as they 
glide swiftly on in full chase, and rounding the pro- 
montories of the Bosphorus, their lofty masts and parti- 
colored streamers are seen towering above trees and 
palaces. We have sometimes counted four hundred 
within a very limited space. 

The most graceful sails seen on the Bosphorus are 
those belonging to large boats of produce that come 
down from the Black Sea. They are of a very coarse, 
rude material, and often tattered, but so arranged as to 
be quite effective. The gunwale of these boats, which 
were sunk nearly to the edge with heavy lading of 



76 



HAEBOR OF THERAPIA. 



wood, charcoal, or vegetables, is often decorated with 
elaborately carved wood. 

The streets and quays of our little village were 
frequented by numbers of captains and seamen, while 
their vessels were in port, fantastically arrayed in va- 
rious outlandish costumes, with the bearing and appear- 
ance of accomplished corsairs ; and some amusing inci- 
dents have reached our ears, characterized by the 
romance of bygone times. 

The Greek girls of Therapia, who are not a whit 
behind the rest of the world in the knowledge of the 
art of setting off their charms to the best advantage, • 
coif themselves with a muslin handkerchief, the border 
of which is penciled in flowers of various bright colors. 
It is their custom, when these require washing, to go 
out upon the banks, or steps of some quay, and wash 
them in the stream ; and there is seldom a day that 
they may not be seen, in parties of two or three, occu- 
pied in this way. 

A Croat captain, who was detained in the harbor, 
chanced one day, in some of his rambles, to be so 
struck by the face of one of these fair ones, thus em- 
ployed, that he followed her at a distance, when she 
returned home, in order that he might inform himself 
of her place of abode, and then, without discovering 
himself, went to seek some acquaintance who might 
introduce him in due form. He declared at once to 
the mother his desire and intention of marrying the 
young girl, but as she could not act in so important a 



AN ELOPEMENT. 



matter, without consulting her priest and friends in 
general, a convocation was assembled, and a decree of 
banishment was passed. But Cupid had taken a sure 
aim, and the gallant captain was not to be easily frus- 
trated in his designs. 

"Now it must be known, that the most lawless and 
daring men about Constantinople are the Croats, 
whose occupation is that of gardening. They are no- 
torious as robbers and assassins, and yet so faithful and 
true to their employers and those who secure their 
friendship and favor, that it is well understood to be 
of the highest importance to keep on good terms with 
them. Our captain, then, had among his own people the 
best possible instruments for the execution of his plan, 
which was nothing less than to abduct his lady love, 
and transport her to his ship that was near by. He 
had not been slow in perceiving that both mamma and 
daughter were favorable to his suit, although they 
would not act in opposition to the advice of the priests. 
So he thought himself justified, doubtless, in taking the 
matter entirely into his own hands. A band of these 
desperadoes, headed by one notorious Giovo, — who 
was no other than our gardener — made a charge upon 
the house of the fair damsel and conveyed her in a 
twinkling, under the cover of the darkness of the night, 
to the ship of her admirer, where a priest was in wait- 
ing to perform the marriage ceremony. The following 
morning a gaily dressed crowd of women animated 
the deck of a vessel near us ; unusual sounds of revelry 



IS 



AN ELOPEMENT. 



were heard, and we were much, amused when told the 
Corsair-like story in which our Giovo played so promi- 
nent a part. 

As the captain was in a sphere quite above the 
humble one of his wife's family, and had an abundance 
of this world's goods which he lavished upon them, 
there prevailed a general feeling of satisfaction at the 
result of the manoeuvre. 



CHAPTER XI. 

AN ARMENIAN WEDDING RECEPTION — DESCRIPTION OF THE ROOM 

AND GUESTS THE BRIDE WEDDING CEREMONY, ETC. 

"We were much, interested in the peculiarities of a wed- 
ding ceremony, to which we were courteously invited, 
at the house of a wealthy Armenian. Every one may 
not know that the selection of a wife, among the 
Armenians, is made by the mother for her son, with- 
out consulting either him or the young girl chosen, 
the chance being generally that they have never seen 
each other. They marry at a very early age and never 
go into society until after marriage. 

When the preliminaries are arranged, and the day 
for the wedding appointed, the betrothed attended by 
some faithful matron, goes to the house of her future 
husband, and there the ceremony is performed. The 
choice of the wife is of the utmost importance to her 
mother-in-law, with whom she is to abide. The proba- 
bility is, that she will at least be of a docile dispo- 
sition, since she is to be subject to the dominion of her 
new mother, who is supposed to be well acquainted 



80 



ABME1STIAN WEDDING. 



with her qualifications for the coming years of obe- 
dience. 

For the first year the bride is not allowed to speak 
above a whisper to her mother-in-law, neither is she 
permitted to go out, not even to church, and if her 
husband or any gentleman enter the room, she turns 
her face from them ; and she holds no intercourse with 
her own family during the first three or four weeks. 
The new mother has unlimited control over every thing, 
and if the husband die, she turns the key upon all 
their effects, even the most trifling articles of the 
wardrobe. Yet, notwithstanding so many restrictions, 
they are said to be very happy in their families. 

The house of the Armenian, as well as our own, 
being directly upon the water, we had only to step 
into our kalk, and in twenty minutes were at the door ; 
but those were moments of romance, when the soul 
revelled in poetic fancies awakened by the Oriental 
character of all surrounding objects. 

The moon, then at her full, was beautiful and glori- 
ous amid light and fleecy clouds, and poured her silver 
beams upon the smooth and lucid bay. We glided 
along in dreamlike stillness, and, as we approached 
the house, a picture-like scene of Eastern life was pre- 
sented to us. 

The prettily decorated kalks of the numerous 
guests were stretched along the quays, with their 
hundreds of kaikjis, dressed as usual in white, lying 
on their oars. The garden, through which we passed 



ARMENIAN WEDDING. 



61 



to the house, was brilliantly illuminated, and the scene 
was enlivened by a band of music. 

We entered the large hall and mounted the broad 
stairway, lined on each side with servants, uniformly 
wearing the red fez. The- greater part of the com- 
pany was assembled when we arrived, and we passed 
through crowds to the saloon, where we were cordially 
received by the host. 

After threading our way into the room, we were 
politely met by an interesting little woman, whom I 
knew of course to be some member of the family, but 
she was too young for the mother. She was dressed 
in black cashmere embroidered with gold, the fashion 
of the dress being the same as that worn by the Turks. 
The robe was confined round the waist by a girdle of 
diamonds, the corsage adorned with them, her hands 
glittered with rings, and her really tasteful head-dress, 
arranged upon one side with an air of uncommon 
gracefulness, was literally loaded with these jewels. 

There was no presentation, and without an inter- 
preter, (the person who was to have accompanied us 
for that purpose being detained at home by illness,) we 
had recourse to pantomime that was extremely divert- 
ing. She received us with most graceful salutations, 
her fine, expressive eyes telling us, as plainly as any 
thing could, that we were welcome, and besides, there 
was an indescribable expression of drollery, which 
plainly showed that she felt as well as we how ludi- 
crous was our situation. She motioned to us to be 
4* 



82 



ARMENIAN WEDDING. 



seated on a luxuriantly-cushioned divan, and then took 
her place beside us. An animated pantomime contin- 
ued for some minutes, when our little enchantress with- 
drew to attend to other guests. 

Then we had an opportunity to gaze about the 
room, and admire the sumptuously-attired persons, who 
realized all our dreams of Oriental splendor. There 
was no marvellous beauty, indeed, but all was grace 
and dazzling luxuriance, even beyond what we had 
seen in the Turkish harem, with an animation that gave 
zest to the scene. The men were habited in the cos- 
tume before described, the head always covered with 
the fez, which is very becoming. 

The room was large and high, of elegant propor- 
tions, perhaps sixty feet in length by forty wide, and 
the ceiling richly ornamented. The walls were white, 
and hung with many mirrors, which, with a few fau- 
teuils of rich brocade, and the divans, comprised the 
furniture. 

We were told that the bride might be seen a few 
moments before the ceremony in an adjoining room ; 
and accordingly we moved with the rest of the world for 
the purpose of seeing her. She was upon a divan, sur- 
rounded by splendidly apparelled women. Her dress, 
which was Parisian, with the exception of the bridal 
veil, was of white satin, with deep flounces of lace, a 
wreath of orange blossoms on the head, over which 
was thrown a white thread-lace veil that reached to 
her feet, falling over the back. The only singular part 



ARMENIAN WEDDING. 



83 



of her dress was the veil that concealed her face. This 
was not of gauze or lace, but was formed of large 
strands of gold, falling so closely together as to ap- 
pear interwoven, and was three-quarters of a yard 
in length. It was fastened round the upper part of 
the forehead, and covered the back as well as face, 
but not the shoulders. She wore no ornament. Some 
one threw aside the veil that her face might be seen. 
She did not raise her eyes. It would have been 
natural enough that real modesty should have pre- 
vented her doing so, but that is a part of the training, 
on dit, and was at least very becoming. After this 
display she left the room, and we returned to the one 
we had left, where we awaited the entrance of the bri- 
dal party. 

At length, preparation was made. Large pieces of 
crimson cloth, bordered with gold lace, were spread 
upon the floor near the middle of the room, and this 
space was surrounded by large rich Turkish cushions 
and fauteuils, outside of which was placed another row 
of the latter, in which the families of the various am- 
bassadors were seated. Presently was heard a distant 
sound of youthful voices chanting, which came grad- 
ually nearer, until the room was entered by forty chil- 
dren, each bearing a torch, and falling into two lines 
several feet apart. Persian and Cashmere shawls were 
thrown on the floor between them, 

Then entered, first, the archbishop, a venerable 
looking man with a beard nine or ten inches long. He 



84 



ARMENIAN WEDDING. 



was followed by three bishops, all arrayed in stiff, 
rustling, somewhat imposing, and altogether gorgeous 
robes of embroidered silver and gold cloth. The mitre 
of each was more splendid than any we saw in Italy, 
sparkling, like every thing else, with diamonds. After 
the bishops came eight priests, in robes of velvet, a 
good deal faded, and greatly inferior to those of the 
bishops, and having on their heads melon-shaped caps 
of black velvet, embroidered with gold. They had also 
long beards. 

The archbishop and bishop took the chairs that were 
placed for them at the upper part of the circle, the 
priests arranged themselves upon the cushions around 
the sides. Two boys, holding a taper eight feet high 
and several inches in circumference, wreathed with 
garlands of white roses, stood on either side. 

Then came the bride and bridegroom, with the fa- 
ther and brother of the bride, the latter of whom 
acted as sponsor. The bride and groom took their 
places at the lower part of the circle. One of the 
priests stepped forward and drew their foreheads to- 
gether so that they touched. The brother held between 
their faces a small crucifix of gold. The archbishop 
sang, with a nasal twang, something in Armenian ; then 
a second priest stepped forth and threw over the neck 
of both a golden cord. The nasal chant, which was 
perhaps a prayer, was then taken up by a third priest, 
and then another cord was put round the heads of 
both. The chant was then continued by a fourth priest. 



ARMENIAN WEDDING. 



85 



Then two priests took two cords, and standing one be- 
hind the groom and the other behind the bride, put the 
two cords together round the heads of the bride and 
bridegroom and tied them at each end. This was fol- 
lowed by a long chant or prayer, and then the bride 
and groom partook of the sacrament. The wafer was 
taken on the tongue from the hand of the priest, and 
they took wine. 

This ceremony usually occupies three hours ; but, 
in consideration of the excessive heat of the room, it 
was, on this occasion, much shortened. The bridal 
pair stood, through the whole of it, with their fore- 
heads joined, excepting perhaps five minutes, when 
chairs were brought them for rest. During all that 
time the sponsor held the cross, at arm's length, be- 
tween their faces, which must have been a very painful 
position. The thick veil was not removed from the 
face of the bride during the ceremony, and she was 
evidently overcome by exhaustion. Water was fre- 
quently offered her, and a female attendant repeatedly 
wet her handkerchief with cologne. 

After the ceremony she left the room, the golden 
veil was removed, and she returned to join the rest of 
the party in dancing and feasting, which continued till 
morning. Refreshments of cake and lemonade were 
passed about during the evening, and at three o'clock 
there was a sumptuous repast. 



CHAPTER XII. 



TRIP TO ALEXANDRIA THENCE TO CAIRO THE DESERT — PYRAMIDS 

MINARETS EGYPTIAN WOMEN WITH JARS LANDING — CARRIAGES 

— RUNNERS — HOTEL — PROSPECT FROM IT OPHTHALMIA — CHILDREN 

RAIN — DRIYE TO SHOUBRA HELIOPOLIS — OBELISK — HOLY FAMI- 
LY, ETC. THE TOMBS OF THE MEMELUKES AND CALIPHS — THE NEW 

MOSQUE — YIEW FROM THE CITADEL — BAZAARS — DEPARTURE. 

In the winter of 1851 we bade adieu to this summer 
paradise, to seek some less rigorous climate for the 
season. On the 7th of January we sailed in one of the 
Austrian steamers for Alexandria, and after a passage 
of seven days, (including one passed at Smyrna,) dur- 
ing some of which we experienced all the tortures that 
can be inflicted by the pitchings of a steamer, on a sea 
that is easily disturbed by gales of wind, we found our- 
selves at the wharf of the once-renowned city, bearing 
the name of the immortal conqueror. 

After paying our respects to the misnamed Pom- 
pey's Pillar, (too well known to need description,) and 
taking a look at Cleopatra's needle, we had seen all; the 
wonders of the place. The consular houses, that form 
the sides of a large square, were too European to suit 



CAIBO. m 



87 



our fancy, and the grave dresses of blue cotton, worn 
by the mass of those who traversed the streets, were 
too little voyant to please eyes long accustomed to 
gairish shows. 

We were rather impatient to have all the necessary 
preliminaries arranged for our voyage up the Nile, so 
that we might arrive, as soon as possible, at the more 
alluring city of caliphs and dervises. 

After two or three days we were off in a steamer, 
passing through the Mahmoudia canal, upon the banks 
of which, directly after leaving Alexandria, are pretty 
villas and gardens, charming groves of date, palms, 
and other trees. But farther on the scenery is 
dreary, until near Atfeh, which is a little village of 
mud cabins, at the junction of the canal with the 
Nile.' 

The first object of real interest that we came to 
was the vast Desert, upon which our eyes rested for 
the first time; an undulating waste that stretched 
from the shore as far as the eye could reach, bounded 
only by the horizon. Then the peaks of the Pyramids 
became visible, producing a thrill of delight. We 
realized that we were approaching the land where 
mighty wonders had been wrought by God and man. 
Ere long the minarets, sparkling in the sunbeams, an- 
nounced the proximity of the glorious, beautiful city. 

Numerous boats were lying along the shore; 
women were running down the banks with enormous 
water-jars, which they filled, and then replacing upon 



88 



„ CAIRO. 



their heads the cumbrous and heavy vessel, with as 
much apparent ease as if it were a feather, ascended 
with nimble steps to their respective habitations. 

We landed early in the afternoon, and were not a 
little surprised to find nice European carriages, a lux- 
ury we had by no means thought of. They were pre- 
ceded by a runner, who, with a Jcoorbash, (a whip of 
great length,) with the appendage of a powerful snap- 
per, ran and leaped with incredible dexterity, cracking 
his whip in the meanwhile, so as to give notice to all 
in the streets to clear the way. We afterwards found 
that such a person was the forerunner of all carriages 
and processions, which he precedes in this way quite 
to the outskirts of the city. 

We drove to the hotel, through a beautiful avenue 
of luxuriant acacias, the work of the benefactor of 
Cairo, Mehemed Ali. In a few moments we w r ere sit- 
ting at an open window, enjoying the soft, delicious 
atmosphere of an Egyptian winter's day. 

Our hotel, which if not the only one at Cairo, was 
as good as any, could boast of a situation that fur- 
nished its inmates with endless amusement. It stood 
upon the principal new street, facing the large public 
gardens, so that, besides the refreshing green of the 
trees and shrubbery, among which were to be had 
glimpses of showy flowers and striking figures saunter- 
ing about in the avenues, there was always passing 
beneath our windows some picturesque group or fes- 
tive scene, that kept us ever on the alert. 



CAIEO. 



89 



We were desirous of losing none of the peculiarities 
of the country, and the startling sound of the cracking 
whip, giving notice of the approach of some display, 
allowed us no repose. The animation and activity of 
the dark-visaged Arab were in striking contrast to 
the lazy habits of the more dignified Turk. 

Arab women, enveloped in black silk mantles, 
thrown over the head, covering the whole body, the 
arms apparently a-kimbo, so that the silk, filled and 
distended with the breeze, looks like a balloon, no 
part of the face visible but the long eye seen above a 
white veil, were sailing along upon donkeys ; English- 
men and Americans, enjoying the novelty of a gallop 
upon an animal of the same species, went more briskly 
past, the jiggish pace of the dwarfish creature urged 
on by the cruel, barbed rod of the never-failing donkey 
boy; Effendis, better mounted, and followed by the 
indispensable pipe-bearer ; these, and wedding proces- 
sions and those of other festivals, constituted the more 
lively part of the moving panorama. 

Then came a sadder side of the picture ; wretched, 
thin-looking mothers, clad in soiled dresses of blue 
cotton, with a dirty, squalid infant upon one shoulder, 
sometimes held in its insecure position by the hand of 
the mother, and multitudes of blind men, whose red, 
sightless balls pleaded strongly for the compassion of 
the beholder. 

The number of persons suffering from ophthalmia is 
indeed fearfully great, and the truest benefactor to the 



90 



CAIRO. 



Egyptian race would be the happy person who should 
discover a preventive or remedy for the painful and 
impoverishing calamity. 

Besides the blind, there are no more striking ob- 
jects of misery than the pale, puny, passive, sad, and 
sickly-looking children, who, with mothers of a de- 
graded aspect, crowd the streets of Cairo, and no one 
can regard them without a feeling of wonder, that they 
should ever grow and develop into the well-formed, 
upright, active Egyptian men ; for a crippled or feeble- 
looking man is rarely seen, 

"We experienced the novelty of two or three 
showers while in Cairo, and enjoyed the refreshing 
and vivifying effects of them during a drive to the 
garden of Shoubra. The delightful avenue of four 
miles in length leading to it was thickly set with 
graceful acacias, and noble sycamores ; the extensive 
meadows by the road-side were clothed in the fresh 
green of corn, just springing from the earth ; and 
orchards of sombre date, palms, and olives, came hap- 
pily into the joyous landscape. It was such a luxu- 
riant and promising show of agricultural industry as 
we had not seen for a long time ; and was another 
memento of the enterprise of Mehemed Ali. The 
garden has no particular beauty or interest ; like all 
those of the East, it is laid out formally and stiffly, 
with avenues of lemons and oranges, odoriferous shrubs 
and ornamental trees, and contains fountains of water, 
well supplied by the Nile, which flows by the garden. 



CAIEO. 



91 



Upon one side is a kiosk, usually occupied during the 
summer months by the harem of the Pacha. 

Another of our rides was to the site of the ancient 
Heliopolis, about seven or eight miles north of Cairo. 
Our road lay partly along the skirt of the desert, 
through avenues of trees, and we passed many of the 
miserable mud huts of the common Arabs. 

The ground, formerly occupied by this early and 
splendid Egyptian city, which was the On of Scrip- 
ture, and probably before Memphis the capital of 
Egypt, is now a fertile plain, yielding abundant crops 
to the agriculturist. An obelisk of red granite, 
standing erect, and finely polished, covered with hie- 
roglyphics in a fresh condition, is the only remaining 
monument of its former magnificence. This obelisk 
was raised, according to Wilkinson, 1740 b. c, by Osir- 
tarsin I., during whose reign Joseph came to Egypt. 
The base of it is buried probably some feet by alluvial 
deposits, but it is a beautiful, symmetrical object. 
Besides that, fragments of sculptured granite, remains 
of old walls, and broken pottery in abundance, mark 
the locality of a once populous city. 

There is another object near by shown to the trav- 
eller, which possesses a far greater degree of interest 
for the superstitious Christian of that country, or even 
the Mussulman. In the midst of a garden of lemon 
and orange trees is a large, venerable sycamore, which 
is sacred as being the one that sheltered the holy fam- 
ily during their flight into Egypt. The story is, that 



92 



CAIRO. 



when they were oppressed with thirst, a fountain mi- 
raculously burst forth, and furnished them with pure 
and refreshing water, and that they also found a re- 
treat from their pursuing enemies in the large tree, 
which suddenly opened to receive them. 

A well, from which water is drawn by means of 
buffaloes, furnishes a supply for the irrigation of the 
garden; and the tree, which is of immense size, is 
hacked and scarred by the implements of such as have 
desired to bear away fragments of the sacred relic, or 
the more ambitious, who have endeavored to secure 
their own immortality by inscribing a name. 

The tombs of the Memlooks and Caliphs, on the 
borders of theDesert, are magnificent and beautiful mon- 
uments of Arabian architecture, and of a great variety 
of forms. Some of them are built of alternate layers 
of white and red stone, others are of marble, exqui- 
sitely wrought. They are surmounted by domes, that 
sometimes appear almost too weighty for the slender 
columns which support them. Among them are some 
of more grandeur, that indeed swell into mosques, with 
large domes and minarets, and extensive courts. 

A mosque of more modern architecture, which is 
to serve as a mausoleum for the great Mehemed Ali, is 
within the citadel, and is unsurpassed for richness and 
beauty. Although not completed, it was in an ad- 
vanced stage. It was cased, within and without, with 
yellow alabaster, and numerous columns of the same 
superb material were to adorn the exterior. The 



CAIK0. 



93 



graceful minaret of Stamboul, light and more sym- 
metrical than those of Cairo, arose by the side of a no- 
ble dome, the interior of which was richly painted. 

The view from the citadel is one of uncommon in- 
terest and magnificence, embracing the whole of the 
city, which lies far beneath it, and beyond, fertile 
meadows, bounded by the undulating desert. Not less 
than seven pyramids may be seen from this point. 

The bazaars of Cairo have very little attraction for 
one familiar with those of Stamboul, and the streets, 
although narrower, and, if possible, more crowded and 
noisy than those of the capital of the Ottoman empire, 
are yet less difficult to perambulate, because, besides 
being level, they are free from pavements and mud. 
The roofs of the buildings project so as to form a shel- 
ter from the sun. The city is surrounded by a wall, 
the gates of which are closed at night. 

In the course of some days it was announced that 
our boat was in readiness for the contemplated expedi- 
tion up the Nile, and we bade adieu, for a few weeks, 
to this busy, bustling, jostling, idle city, where may be 
seen an odd mixture of European refinement and im- 
provements, ingrafted upon the stock of manners and 
habits introduced by the fanciful, imaginative descend- 
ants of the Prophet. 

We took our departure by steamer from the wharf 
at the harbor of Boolak, and to avoid repetition I shall 
take up the course of our travels at the termination of 
our voyage up the Nile, 



CHAPTER XIII. 



TRIP TO THE SECOND CATARACT — CHARACTER OF THE BOAT AND ITS 
OCCUPANTS — SERVANTS — DRAGOMAN — CREW— —PLEASURES OF AN EX- 
PEDITION ON THE NILE. 

We were six weeks in making our voyage to the sec- 
ond Cataract of the Nile, which is nearly nine hundred 
miles above Alexandria. The winds were adverse, and 
we were a much longer time than is usually required. 
But let no one suppose that the traveller who is not 
pressed for time can murmur at any delay in this deli- 
cious climate. 

Let me describe the character of our boat, the na- 
ture of the comforts by which we were surrounded, 
and the kind of life we led while proprietors of this 
little floating habitation, for I am sure all will agree 
with me that this is the very perfection of travelling. 

I do not mean to state in round numbers the length 
and breadth of our boat. Suffice it to say that it was 
large enough for our accommodation, and would be 
for any party of the same number as reasonable as 
ourselves, and none others ought to leave their own 
homes. 



NILE BOAT. 



95 



I may as well introduce the reader at once to the 
various members of our party, in whom, as they must 
of necessity be intimately connected with what fol- 
lows, I hope he will feel some degree of personal inter- 
est, and when we have disposed of them so that all 
shall be satisfied with their arrangements, we will look 
about to see what facilities for enjoyment we have at 
command. 

Mr. and Mrs. and three ladies occupy for 

sleeping rooms the three apartments into which the 
cabin is divided. A young man of our party enjoys 
the luxury of a hammock on the deck, near the door 
of the cabin, and two faithful servants are disposed of 
on another part of the deck, in the somewhat primitive 
manner peculiar to warm climates. 

The boat has but one deck, and the cabin is placed 
aft. The three apartments into which this is divided 
open into each other. These rooms are of the width 
of the boat, which was perhaps fifteen feet in the 
widest part or centre. The front room is the largest, 
and nearly square, the next not quite so deep. On two 
sides of each is a sort of shelf three feet wide, running 
the length of the room, and placed about three feet 
from the floor, directly under the windows, of which 
there are four on either side. These boards are cov- 
ered with cushions, and are the divans upon which we 
repose day and night. The windows are large enough 
to admit plenty of air, and, what is not less important, 
they are so large and so placed as to enable us to see 



96 



NILE BOAT. 



with comfort all that is outside of us. The roof of the 
cabin projects a few feet beyond the forward room, and 
this furnishes a delightful protection from the burning 
sun. As this is the widest part of the boat, we have a 
very respectable promenade in front of our door. 

At the distance of a few feet from the cabin are the 
seats for the oarsmen, of whom we have twelve, and 
just beyond them is the most simple, primitive, and, to 
me, puzzling arrangement of our whole boat. Exam- 
ine with me this curious place, its construction and fur- 
niture, and then, when I shall hereafter excite your 
appetite by stories of the dainty dishes that smoke 
upon our table, say if the cuisine that supplied Sancho 
Panza with all that was savory could have surpassed 
in magic what belongs to ours. 

When we were making our arrangements at Cairo 
for this voyage, the most inexplicable among all the 
novel articles for our use was a wooden fire-place, for 
so it is denominated in the book, and such in reality it 
is ; it could not be called by any other name. The 
back is made of boards, and is about eight feet in length 
and height ; projecting boards, two feet wide form the 
sides, and in the bottom is an apparatus for cooking, 
that consists of a framework of clay, in which are open- 
ings for pots and kettles, and beneath them is a place 
for fuel. The back of this is placed towards the main 
part of the boat, and in front of it is ensconced, quite 
concealed from our view, our mighty man of many 
inventions, our cuisinier, Mohammed. In this limited 



NILE BOAT. 



97 



sphere, unprotected from the burning sun, or the sud- 
den gusts of wind, so frequent upon this river, reigns 
supreme this important personage, whose fertile genius 
transmutes sheep and poultry into such various forms 
as to be able from these simple elements to furnish the 
requisite number of courses for a gourmand. 

Beneath the deck is a hold, in which is deposited 
all baggage not required for immediate use, and here 
our boatmen, when not employed, creep in, to shelter 
themselves from the sun's scorching rays or the dews 
of the night. 

The latine sails, as everybody knows, are the kind 
used for the Nile boats, and when these are hoisted, 
and we go with the wind, or, as is sometimes the case, 
glide along with the current, the oars are laid aside, 
the opening in the deck appropriated to the rowers' 
benches is closed, and the whole deck becomes a 
smooth, unbroken surface. 

This is the most agreeable condition of our boat ; 
we are no longer cramped for room ; our promenade 
becomes extended even to the kitchen boundary, and 
the men have leisure to perform a variety of antics, 
which, aside from their novelty, would relax the rigid 
muscles of an ascetic. Thus one may see that our dom- 
icil is well adapted to our wants, and I scarcely need 
say that we had foresight enough to stock it with all 
the luxuries that could be furnished by English bazaars 
at Cairo, besides sundry articles that we providently 
took with us from Constantinople. 
5 



98 



NILE BOAT. 



Our household, like every other that insures peace 
and tranquillity, is well regulated, but it seems to have 
an internal power, peculiar to itself, of self-government. 
No orders are ever known to be given, and yet every 
thing occurs in due season. Planets are not more regu- 
lar in their courses ; comets do not return with more 
certainty than appear before us, at the appointed time, 
breakfast, dinner, and tea. Breakfast (dejeuner a la 
fourchette) consists, with equal certainty, if mutton is 
the order of the day, of that article stewed, minced, 
broiled — in short, any thing but a saddle roasted; 
while for dinner the same commodity appears, inge- 
niously disguised, with the addition of vegetables. 

In a region where markets are unknown, it becomes 
necessary, of course, to lay in supplies of live stock. 
Ours is limited to sheep and poultry ; and who does not 
know that where the luxury of an ice-house is not to be 
thought of, it is the part of wisdom to make the earliest 
possible use of the supplies of the larder ? Thus we 
have our mutton days, which are only occasional. The 
days for poultry prevail, and come in uninterrupted 
succession. Chicken fried, chicken fricasseed, pilav, 
omelettes, boiled eggs, tea and coffee, dried white 
bread, coarse bread a VArcibe, Boston crackers, and sea- 
biscuit. What more can the heart of man desire for 
breakfast? Then the turkeys, roast fowl and boiled 
fowl, croquettes, and other nice little side dishes for the 
dinner table, with, now and then, ham. Think of a 
Mussulman cooking ham ! 



NILE BOAT. 



99 



But I have told more than enough to prove that that 
mortal part of man which unhappily cannot subsist 
without " food convenient for it," is amply provided 
for ; although, in order that every one may be perfectly 
at ease in regard to our creature comforts, it were bet- 
ter, perhaps, to complete recording the outline of these 
daily ministrations. 

A nice cup of tea, with the addition of a few assorted 
tea biscuit, is not the less refreshing for being the only 
beverage besides un-iced water that we indulge in 
during the day. 

A faithful Maltese servant, who accompanied us 
from the United States, was aided by another, every 
way his equal, in the performance of the duties devolv- 
ing upon chambermaids, laundresses, and waiters. Al- 
exander, an Armenian whom we took from C , is 

perhaps less accomplished than Soter, but so apt a 
scholar, that with his desire to learn, he already vies 
with the other in clear-starching and ironing shirts, 
while in all other matters he was, from the beginning, 
equally expert. 

The boatmen aid in the washing, and expect to do 
it ; but I believe the luxury of ironing is unknown 
among them, and consequently is generally dispensed 
with by travellers in these boats. 

Our dragoman, or the person who undertakes to 
conduct us safely and comfortably through, and at 
whose mercy we most undeniably are, is a dwarfish 
Arab. A small, round, restless, twinkling, cunning 



100 



NILE BOAT. 



black eye, makes one almost distrustful of an otherwise 
unexceptionable, good-natured countenance ; but his 
alacrity to please, his endeavors, and successful ones, to 
procure for us all that the country affords, merit a host 
of encomiums. He has had every opportunity to qualify 
himself for his position, having been, when a boy, with 
Stevens during his interesting journey, and the most of 
his years since have been passed in the same manner. 
He is in every respect a servant to us, although his au- 
thority over the rais, or captain of our boat, and the 
men, is unlimited. Like ignorant men generally, who, 
after a youth of poverty and degradation, find them- 
selves unexpectedly in a position to command, he some- 
times abuses his power, and plays the tyrant. 

And now behold us in our little barge on this 
mighty river ; not, indeed, in the midst of luxuries — we 
did not come to Egypt in quest of them — but with all 
reasonable sources of comfort. Although weeks have 
passed since we left Cairo, and we have been but once 
or twice ashore, yet we have not experienced one hour 
of ennui. Be it known to you, reader, that ours is a 
very harmonious family. Thoughts, wishes, and sym- 
pathies are just enough in unison to prevent all wrang- 
ling and contention. We are supplied with reading to 
our tastes, and when we tire of that there is no lack of 
conversation, as you will shrewdly opine, where there 
are four ladies. But after all, I freely confess, the 
charm of this life remains to be told. It consists in the 
delicious purity and softness of the climate, uninter- 



KILE BOAT. 



101 



rupted days of sunshine, cloudless, starry nights of un- 
equalled splendor, all which seems to be reflected in the 
soul, which was created with a capacity to enjoy it, and 
yields itself unconsciously to the gentle, propitious in- 
fluence. 

So far I have spoken only of our simple and quiet 
daily pursuits. These have been from time to time in- 
terrupted by the excitement of getting aground, which, 
in consequence of its being the season for the fall of the 
river, occurs not unfrequently. Then there is the ne- 
cessary preparation for a rush into the water. The 
upper garment (a cotton shirt or frock) is thrown off; 
a leap, a shout, a splash in the water — we feel the boat 
move, and on we go again. But it is not always so 
easily effected. Sometimes it costs these poor creatures 
hours of hard struggle and labor in the water ; and the 
only time I have known them to be surly has been 
when they have thought this exhausting toil had been 
brought upon them by the carelessness of the pilot. 
They always make a great noise when in the water, to 
frighten away the crocodiles, or timsah, as they say. 

We often amused ourselves by spying these croco- 
diles as they lay basking in the sun, upon the shoals, at 
a distance from us, and in giving warning to the boys, 
so that they might be prepared with their guns before 
we approached too near, when the unconscious object, 
alarmed by the noise, (but I believe always uninjured,) 
suddenly leaped or slid into his secure retreat. 

We were so late in the season, and as few travellers 



102 



NILE BOAT. 



go as far up as this, we were not in the way of meet- 
ing many returning pleasure-boats. With the excep- 
tion of a few such, and some small craft laden with 
pottery and sometimes with slaves, we seemed to be 
the proprietors of this stream, once the sacred abode 
of gods and deified plants. 

Having given, somewhat briefly, a general notion 
of our condition, I propose to make my readers from 
this time — if, indeed, they should be disposed to con- 
tinue with us — our companions and co-laborers in the 
agreeable or disagreeable task of temple-visiting and 
general sight-seeing that remains before us, during our 
return to Cairo. Of course, we must be liable to many 
annoyances that we have hitherto escaped by keeping 
always in our own clean and comfortable boat. But 
are not the wonders that remain to attest the mingled 
ingenuity, science, and folly of the Egyptians, worth 
making some sacrifices to behold ? Let us see. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



WADEE HALFEH — ROCK OF ABOOSEER CATARACT — BURCKHARDT'S AC- 
COUNT OF IT— TEMPLES OF ABOO-SIMBEL EVENING SCENERY 

MANNER OF PASSING- OUR EVENINGS VISIT FROM A SHEIKH — AN 

UNCOMFORTABLE WIND — NUBIANS SPINNING AND WEAVING 

DRESS OF MEN AND WOMEN — FLIES — CROCODILES. 

The little mud village, (consisting of a few huts,) called 
Wadee ' Halfeh, is situated in Nubia, just below the 
second cataract of the Nile. Here we were obliged to 
leave our boat, and taking a skiff, threaded our way 
dexterously among rocks and shoals, until we reached 
the foot of a high rock called Abooseer, to the top of 
which we clambered, in order to get a view of the cata- 
ract. Such an interminable scene of desolation as is 
here presented to the eye is surely nowhere else to be 
met with in the wide world. All is desert, desert, as 
far as the eye can reach — unbroken miles of sandy 
plains, bounded by the hills of Arabia — the only refresh- 
ing object the river, which, seeking its way through 
tortuous passes, among huge rocks of black basalt, 
rushes on with considerable rapidity, until at length it 



104 



SECOND CATARACT. 



resumes its usual tranquil state among the thirsty plains 
below. Never did the element of water become, to 
my mind, so important a feature in the economy of na- 
ture, as when in juxtaposition with these scorching 
sands. 

Burckhardt gives the following account of the cata- 
ract, which he probably saw at a season when the water 
was higher than at the time we were there : 

"The cataract is formed by a part of the stream 
only, at most, twenty yards in breadth ; its fall is more 
rapid, and the noise and foam greater than in any other 
place in the Batn el Hadjar, or than at the cataracts at 
Assuan ; still, however, it little deserves to be called a 
cataract. There are three principal or sloping rocks, 
one above the other, over which the water descends 
with great velocity. The reports of my guide, and 
many other persons, had made me very anxious to see 
the second cataract, the water of which, I was told, 
' fell down as if from heaven.' When, after seeing it, I 
reprimanded my guide for his extravagant description, 
he replied, c Why, have you seen a finer cataract from 
Cairo to Mohass ? 5 " 

Although the fall itself has so little of majesty and 
grandeur, the desolation of the scene gives it a charac- 
ter truly sublime. 

We took with us refreshments from the boat, and 
here I, at least, poured out a libation in honor of my 
own Green Mountain State, which rose upon my mem- 
ory in striking contrast to the surrounding waste. 



ABOO-SIMBEL. 



105 



Retracing our steps and descending the river, the 
first objects of interest that we come to are the temples 
of Aboo-Simbel, of which there are two, and both of 
them present a very striking and interesting aspect as 
they are approached from the river. 

The sandstone mountain, out of which these temples 
are cut, forms the bank of the river, and is nearly per- 
pendicular. The facade of the smaller temple is di- 
rectly upon the water, and is decorated by six upright, 
colossal figures, standing in niches ; they are representa- 
tions of gods and goddesses ; between them are smaller 
figures. The large temple, instead of fronting the 
river like the other, faces the north, and the four co- 
lossal statues of Remeses the Great rear their gigantic 
heads from amid the sands, (by which, alas ! they are 
nearly buried,) as if proudly defying the ravages of 
time ; and a strongly-marked expression of equanimity 
almost impresses one with the belief that the sculptor, 
mindful of that temperament of man which best secures 
his countenance from the inroads of his destroying 
enemy, had happily chosen the expression as if inspired 
with a presentiment of their immutability. 

Of these four statues, precisely alike, all, excepting 
one, are somewhat mutilated. They are invested with 
the habiliments of a warrior, and the head is covered 
with a helmet. They are said to measure sixty feet in 
height. We had the curiosity to measure an ear, and 
found it to be three feet three inches ; they are finely 

proportioned, and wrought with great care. There is, 

5* 



106 



ABOO-SIMBEL. 



over the entrance, a row of apes, and above them the 
rock rises many feet in its natural state. 

The entrance to this temple is nearly filled by the 
yellow sand that is continually blowing in, and we were 
obliged to grope our way with difficulty down a rather 
steep descent of rolling sand into the interior. Here 
we were lighted by torches, and so far as we could dis- 
cover, there were no means of light or ventilation, ex- 
cepting from the entrance. The temple is divided into 
a corridor, a large hall, and several smaller apartments. 
The length from the portal to the adytum is about two 
hundred feet. The walls are covered with hieroglyph- 
ics and spirited representations of battle scenes. Fierce- 
visaged warriors, chariots, and war-horses, in the pur- 
suit of flying foes, tell plainly the story of conquests, 
and are imperishable records of deeds of valor, which, 
but for them, the lapse of three or four thousand years 
must have buried in oblivion. 

The figures of Osiris, eight times repeated, standing 
upright against large square columns, bearing the scep- 
tre and flagellum, are stiff and stately, but not imposing. 
In the dim and flickering light by which we saw them, 
I confess, they appeared to me more like spectres than 
gods, and the shocking, mutilated monsters that occupy 
the adytum, only tend to produce a feeling of melan- 
choly regret that this people, who have left so many 
astonishing proofs of wisdom and learning, should have 
been, in spiritual matters, so little enlightened. 

As the sun was declining, we moved off to the op- 



THE NILE. 



107 



posite shore to take a last view of this mighty and 
far-famed wonder. 

The evening was just such a one as can nowhere be 
found but on the Nile. As the sun sinks beneath the 
horizon, the glory of the wide-spread, golden radiance 
melts into the more subdued rose, which is gradually 
lost in the pale yellow and green, and when the sombre 
neutral tints to which they at length yield produce the 
usual obscurity of twilight, the whole heavens become 
again illumined by what is termed the zodiacal light. 
It is poetry indeed, and one ceases to wonder that, in 
the absence of a revealed religion, the life-giving, soul- 
reviving orb of day, which, in these latitudes especially, 
seems to bid a reluctant adieu to its gazing and de- 
pendent admirers, should have become an object of 
worship. 

The scenery of this region is of that peculiar char- 
acter which harmonizes with the supernatural. Rocks 
of fantastic forms rise abruptly from the midst of beds 
of sand, and assume such a countless variety of shapes 
that it requires no vivid imagination to trace among 
them what might have served as models to the an- 
cient Egyptians for gods, propyla, and pyramids ; and 
when bathed in the varying light of the setting tropical 
sun, they are of great beauty. 

As soon as the sun was low enough not to scorch 
us, there was a general moving of cushions, and all 
sorts of accommodations for lounging, from the inte- 
rior to the outside ; and without the incumbrance of 



108 



THE NILE. 



shawls or hoods we mused and talked away those long, 
bright, starry evenings. Our reclining posture afford- 
ed a convenient opportunity for studying the constella- 
tions and stars, which shone w T ith a brilliancy and stead- 
iness that I have never seen elsewhere. 

One evening the scene was changed to one that 
partook more of mortality. A sheikh of no small de- 
gree honored us with a visit. He was a descendant of 
the Bosnian soldiers, who were sent by the Sultan Se- 
lim to garrison the fortress of Ibrim. They claim to 
be Turks, but he had certainly very little of the dignity 
by which they are characterized, and still less of the 
simple and lofty bearing which marks a Nubian. The 
truth is, although a brave and noble race, possessing 
many virtues, they have seen fit to overstep the privi- 
leges and immunities with which their ancestors were 
endowed, and which they have retained, viz., an ex- 
emption from the taxes usually levied, and are not a 
little addicted to an unrestrained love of palm wine, 
and bouzza, a liquor made from barley. 

It so happened that this worthy had dined with a 
party of our friends, who were the proprietors of a 
boat near by, previous to his visit to us, and had evi- 
dently found the choice wines of his hospitable hosts 
too irresistible and too potent ; so when he came on 
board our dahabiah he slily informed Achmed, when 
he handed him the pipe, that he should prefer some- 
thing a little more powerful than coffee*, which is offered 
to visitors as a matter of course. Accordingly, Ach- 



KILE BOAT. 



109 



ined brought two glasses of gin, one of which was taken 
by the Sheikh, who, on tasting it, made up a direful 
face, and spit out what he had taken into his mouth. 
He put down the glass in disgust, which was eagerly 
seized by one of his attendants, less fastidious than 
himself, who had already swallowed the other glass at 
one draught. The addition of the second was sufficient 
to place him beyond the bounds of restraint. While 
his master endeavored to maintain his share in the con 
versation, and, what was more difficult, his position in 
a chair that had been brought for him, the attendant, 
who in the beginning had kept a respectful standing 
position, so far forgot himself as to recline upon the 
floor by the side of his master, and by degrees even to 
take part in the conversation. But the old Sheikh was 
not so- far lost to a sense of decency as to tolerate such 
familiarity, and very quietly said to him, " Friend, you 
don't seem to be very well to-night ; you had better 
retire a little and be quiet." This gentle rebuke was 
sufficient ; but on making his retreat he finished a bot- 
tle of sherry that had been produced for his master as 
a compensation for the odious gin. 

That the Sheikh was reconciled, and altogether con- 
tented with his situation, was plain enough from the 
desire he manifested to remain with us ; and I know 
not how we should have managed to get rid of him, if 
our friends, with whom he had dined, had not chanced 
to be with us, and who, as they had primed him, (I 
believe that is the word,) felt a little responsible for his 



110 



OTLE BOAT. 



good behavior, and gave him a timely hint to accom- 
pany them when they departed. 

The following morning promised fair ; the tempera- 
ture of the atmosphere was mild, and we were rejoicing 
in the prospect of soon being at Ibrim, when, about 
noon, the wind suddenly began to blow violently, and 
coming from the north, it was, of course, just what we 
did not want. The heat became almost suffocating. 
The boatmen were discouraged in their efforts to drag 
us along against so strong a wind, and we "thought it 
best to make fast our little ark in the vicinity of an in- 
viting grove of palms. But the rest we had hoped for 
in pursuing this course was not to be found on board 
our boat. The agitation of the river was quite suffi- 
cient to remind some of us, as we rocked about, of 
those never-to-be-forgotten days of real woe which 
had been passed upon broader waters. Always glad 
to avail ourselves of an opportunity to study the habits 
of this primitive people, we betook ourselves to the 
shore, and made our way to the grove, a little above 
us, where we were soon surrounded by women and 
children, eager, as usual, to gaze at us. Their curios- 
ity, however, did not interfere with the employment 
of spinning, which occupied many of them ; and it was 
really a pleasure to see these children of nature twirling 
the spindle in the open air, free from the restrictions 
which hold in bondage so many slaves in manufactur- 
ing establishments. The progress they made in this 
primitive mode of fabricating cotton was not very rapid, 



NUBIA. 



Ill 



but they manage to accomplish enough to supply their 
own wants ; and not only the oppressed and degraded 
victim who is doomed to pass his life in manufacturing 
the rich and delicate apparel to be worn by another, 
but even many a one decked in costly array might 
envy these careless and simple creatures. 

The spindle used by the Nubians is of the simplest 
possible construction. It consists of two small pieces 
of palm, one of which is two or three inches long, very 
small, and hooked at the end. This is inserted into 
another larger and longer, and is encircled at the junc- 
tion by a round flat stone of two inches, perhaps, in 
diameter. The cotton is contained in small baskets, 
carried by children, who pick and prepare it for the 
spinning process. It is then attached to the hooked 
end of the spindle, and when drawn to a proper length, 
the spindle is twirled by means of the thumb and finger 
with great dexterity. The parties thus employed stroll 
about, apparently quite unconcerned as to the result of 
their labor. 

The loom, in which this rude yarn is woven, I did 
not see ; but Miss Martineau describes it thus : " A lit- 
tle pit was dug in the earth under a palm — a pit just 
big enough to hold the treadles and the feet of the 
weaver, who sits on the end of the pit. The beam 
was made of a slender palm stem, fixed into two blocks. 
The treadles were made of spines of the palm, fixed 
into bits of stick. The shuttle was, I think, a forked 
twig. The cotton yarn was even, and the fabric good, 



112 



NUBIA. 



that is, evenly woven. It was, though coarse, so thin 
that one might see the light through ; but that was in- 
tended, and only appropriate to the climate." 

The dress of the Nubian men and women is as rude 
and simple as their habits of life. A long frock of 
coarse brown or blue cotton, and a small white linen 
cap for the head, round which is twisted almost any 
thing that can serve for a turban, constitutes the dress 
of the former. They wear upon the arm, above the 
elbow, small leathern bags, which contain amulets, and 
they have also a rosary about the neck, and are fre- 
quently decorated with an ear-ring of some metal. But 
in this garb, which seems suited to mendicants alone, 
these well-made, fine-looking lords of the scanty soil 
they cultivate, move about with a quiet dignity that 
cannot fail to command respect. They have handsome 
features, and the expression of their countenances is 
decidedly sedate and thoughtful. 

Less commendation must be bestowed upon the ap- 
pearance of the women, who disfigure themselves by 
tattooing and coloring. They also wear a very simple 
dress of coarse cotton, so saturated with the castor 
oil which they are in the habit of using in profuse 
quantities for the head and skin, that it is difficult to 
say whether it was originally white or brown. The 
hair is plaited into a countless number of small braids, 
that fall unconfined about the head and face, those in 
front being so short as to have the appearance of being 
squared off to the forehead* Apparently one dressing 



mrBiA. 



113 



answers for the lifetime ; at least, the frizzed condition 
of the hair inclines one to think so. They seem very 
good-natured, and perhaps, if they were cleansed from 
the coloring and oil, they would not be so far inferior 
to the men as they now appear. They are very fond 
of decoration, and wear for ornaments bracelets of 
beads, shells, silver, lead, and iron, and all sorts of neck- 
laces : occasionally a searabseus, a relic of antiquity, of 
which they know too well the value to part with it at 
a small price. 

"While we were in the midst of this curious throng 
an old man came forward, and making a long speech, 
informed us that he was a hundred years old, and since 
God had given him so many years, we ought to give 
him a generous backsheesh, which request, backed by 
so good a reason, I scarcely need say, was complied 
with. 

Advantage was always taken of these delays to give 
the poor feathered bipeds an opportunity to stretch and 
refresh themselves. They were invariably put on shore 
and suffered to run about. It was amusing to see the 
natives at this place flee from the turkeys, as if really 
afraid of them. 

There is one great annoyance, one of the remaining 
plagues of Egypt, from which we suffered on our return 
to the boat, after such excursions. Flies came in upon 
us from the land in such swarms that we had no peace 
until, by dint of flyflaps and towels, they were uncere- 
moniously exterminated. 



114 



NUBIA. 



The following morning, the 2d of March, was one 
of the most lovely that could be imagined. The river 
became wider as we advanced towards Ibrim, and the 
shoals more frequent. The crocodiles came out from 
their hiding-places to bask in the sun, and one might 
almost envy them their lives of luxury as they lay 
stretched in glorious repose upon the shoals and banks, 
and when weary of that, slid lazily into a bath of the 
delicious temperature of 60° or 70° Fahrenheit. Gods 
they might well be considered. The day previous had 
been our first hot one, the thermometer being at 96°. 



CHAPTER XV. 



EXCAVATIONS — CASTLE OF IBRIM — VIEW FROM IT — CHARACTER OP 

THE RUINS — TAXES OP THE NUBIANS EXTRACTS PROM BURCK- 

HARDT — DERR — VISIT FROM AND TO THE GOVERNOR — A BIRD 

THE VILLAGE PALMS TEMPLE — WOMEN A COMMOTION — CHAR- 
ACTER OP THE NUBIANS BY BURCKHARDT — CHARM OP NUBIA 

SCENERY BELOW DERR. 

The excavations in the sides of the abrupt rocks, which 
are ancient tombs, are very striking as we approach 
Ibrim. They are reached by means of ropes, with 
much inconvenience. One often wonders what was the 
motive of the ancient Egyptians in choosing places for 
interment so difficult of access. 

The castle of Ibrim is built upon a rocky hill, 
rising three hundred feet above the river, and has the 
appearance of being easily reached, although we found 
the ascent somewhat difficult. However, the view 
from the height amply repaid our toil. On the oppo- 
site, or western side of the river, lies the desert, the 
level of which is broken by mounds or large hills of 
rocks and sand. One or two promontories may, in- 
deed, be descried, where there is some cultivation, but 



116 



IBRIM. 



the sparse vegetation seems scarcely sufficient to re- 
ward the laborer. The Arabian hills in the rear limit 
a view of ravines and rocks, and the fructifying river, 
which is seen as far as the eye can reach, pursuing a 
gently winding course between these desolate and 
barren coasts, with its green banks fringed with palms 
and mimosas, looking in the distance like a ribbon, is, 
as usual, the only refreshing object upon which the eye 
can rest. 

Every thing about the town bespeaks decay, and 
the history of the rise and fall of empires may be read 
there, in the remains of Roman, Greek, Saracenic and 
Turkish architecture. 

The castle of Ibrim is one of three ruins that were 
repaired and garrisoned by the Bosnian soldiers sent 
thither by the Sultan Selim, at the request of one of 
the Bedouin tribes, who, on the point of being subdued 
by a neighboring tribe, had applied to t the Sultan for 
aid. In consideration of the sterility of the country, 
these men were exempted from land taxes, and re- 
ceived an annual pension. They intermarried with the 
tribes of Arabs around them, and their descendants in- 
herit the same immunities and privileges. 

The poor Nubians are subject to heavy taxes and 
doubtless to great oppression from their rulers. An 
unreasonable tax is levied upon the sakie, or water- 
wheel, by which the scanty soil is irrigated, and upon 
which depends the sustenance of the peasants. Burck- 
hardt mentions some curious facts in relation to this 



NUBIA. 



117 



subject, and says, "that the whole system of taxation 
is extremely arbitrary and irregular, and poor villages 
are soon ruined by it, from their inability to resist the 
taxations made upon them, while the richer ones pay 
much less in proportion, because the governors are 
afraid of driving the inhabitants to acts of open resist- 
ance.'' Again he says, " Derr is the chief residence of 
the governors ; but they are continually moving about, 
for the purpose of exacting the taxes from their sub- 
jects, who pay them only on the approach of a superior 
force. During these excursions, the Kasefs (gover- 
nors) commit great acts of injustice, wherever they find 
that there is none to resist them, which is frequently 
the case. The amount of the revenue is shared equally 
amongst the three brothers, (in whose hands the gov- 
ernment is divided,) but they are all very avaricious, 
extremely jealous of each other, and each robs clandes- 
tinely as much as he can." Again, " If a Nubian, from 
whom money is to be extorted, flies, his wife or his 
young children are imprisoned till he returns. This 
practice is much complained of by the people, and is 
unknown even among the tyrannical Pachas of Syria 
and Egypt, who respect the person of the wives and 
children of their greatest enemies. The following is a 
curious method which the governors of Nubia have 
devised, of extorting money from their subjects. 
When any wealthy individual has a daughter of a 
suitable age, they demand her in marriage ; the father 
seldom dares to refuse, and sometimes feels flattered 



118 



NUBIA. 



by the honor ; but he is soon ruined by his powerful 
son-in-law, who extorts from him every article of his 
property, under the name of presents for his own 
daughter." 

• We reached Derr, the capital of Nubia, at an early 
hour on the morning of the 3d, and before we were 
ready for breakfast had a visit from the governor, who 
is a Turk, a venerable, dignified, agreeable person, with 
the common Turkish appendage of a fine beard. He 
was coffeed and piped as usual, and was disposed to be 
very social. He was evidently amused with the nov- 
elty of seeing ladies unveiled and at ease in the pres- 
ence of a stranger. But, however much he may have 
been affected by the difference of our customs, he had 
the sagacity to perceive or divine that we had all the 
same nature ; at least, so one may infer from the fact 
that he suddenly dispatched an attendant to bring a 
bird, which he intimated to our dragoman, he designed 
as a present for us. Before its arrival, however, the 
pipe, coffee and palaver had terminated ; and as we had 
been urgently invited, ladies and all, to return the visit, 
and as his excellency had departed to prepare for our 
reception, no time was to be lost ; so after breakfasting, 
we gathered up such articles as we had with us most 
likely to please this august personage, and wended our 
way to his palace, which was simply an edifice of 
mud. He received us very courteously under a vast 
plane tree, whose wide-spreading branches furnished a 
most agreeable shelter from the sun. Turkey rugs and 



NUBIA. 



119 



mats were spread over benches or divans formed of 
clay, and we were not loth to accept the hospitality 
that offered such an inviting place of repose. We par- 
took of his coffee, and enjoyed a very fine view of 
mountains, which particularly mark the scenery ther£. 

The promised bird was presented, and proved to be 
a young ostrich of two or three feet in height. 

After taking our leave of the governor we went to 
look at a temple of great antiquity, situated back of 
the village. On our way we passed through the town, 
which stands in the midst of a grove of date-palms. 
They were just then in blossom, and we were delighted 
with the beauty and fragrance of the flowers. The 
dates of this region are in great repute. A few hun- 
dred small mud houses, thatched with palm, with two 
or three larger ones, occupied by the chiefs, constitute 
the town which is the capital of Nubia. These huts 
are scattered about among palms, upon little square 
patches of ground, separated by ridges of earth for the 
purpose of irrigation. 

I found the temple too much marred and mutilated 
to be very attractive to me, and, while others remained 
to take its dimensions, went outside to amuse myself 
with the women who had collected about the entrance. 
There were at least fifty of them, whose dirty, squalid 
appearance, contrasted strikingly with the cleanliness 
of the town. They crowded around me, and the ca- 
vasse would have driven them away, but thinking it a 
rare opportunity to observe them, I said, " No, let them 



120 



NUBIA. 



remain." They were less cleanly even than those we 
had seen on the opposite shore the day previous, and 
looked more degraded, but were apparelled in the same 
manner. I noticed little bits of iron worn upon the 
forehead, and was told that only married women were 
thus decorated. A tiny leathern bag, containing a 
paper, is always worn as a charm to keep off the evil 
eye, of which they have a great dread. 

There was more than one arm extended for back- 
sheesh, but there was one close by my side, with an in- 
fant in her arms, who supplicated so pitifully that I was 
disposed to gratify her ; and not being supplied with 
fuddehs, (a small coin,) turned to Achmed for some. 
He took out a handful of them, at the sight of which 
there was such a rush that the sticks of the Pacha's 
officers and our own men were put into active service. 
I deeply regretted that my indiscretion should have 
occasioned these poor creatures some rather severe 
blows. But what amused us was the eagerness with 
which the servants of the Pacha and our men took me 
by the arms, and literally bore me off into the temple, 
thinking, I suppose, that quiet would not be restored 
until the exciting cause of the commotion was removed. 

The persecuting cry of backsheesh, among the peo- 
ple of this country, is notorious ; but this was the first 
time we had been annoyed by it. Indeed, the real Nu- 
bian would scorn such meanness. It would be incom- 
patible with his elevated physiognomy and dignity of 
manner, and the honesty for which he is distinguished. 



NUBIA. 



121 



Burckhardt, who had a good opportunity for studying 
them, says, that " they are of a kind disposition, and 
without that propensity to theft so characteristic of the 
Egyptians. Pilfering, indeed, is unknown among them, 
and any person convicted of such a crime would be ex- 
pelled from his village by the unanimous voice of its 
inhabitants. I did not lose the most trifling article 
during my journey through the country, although I 
always slept in the open air, in front of the house where 
I took up my quarters for the night. They are gener- 
ally hospitable towards strangers. Curiosity seems to 
be the most prominent feature in their character, and 
they generally ask their guest a thousand questions 
about the place he comes from, and the business which 
brings him to Nubia." 

I find great pleasure in having the opinion I had 
formed of this primitive race, from whom I experienced 
great kindness, established by the more extended means 
of observation enjoyed by this distinguished traveller. 

I confess that the perfect harmony and fitness of 
every thing connected with this little kingdom had a 
charm for me amounting to romance. The narrow 
strip of territory, hemmed in on either side by moun- 
tains, with just soil enough to furnish nourishment to a 
small and industrious population, who know no wants 
beyond those that may be satisfied at home ; the gen- 
eral appearance of happiness and contentment, with the 
apparent feeling of lordly independence ; the universal 
quiet that everywhere prevailed, was all in delightful 
6 



122 



contrast to the bustle and turmoil of the wide world. 
It was primeval life, indeed, which did not seem all 
poetry or fiction, but something real and available ; and 
I would sooner have chosen a residence in this little 
corner of the earth, with my friends around me, than 
in any other spot I know of. 

Below Derr the character of the scenery is a good 
deal changed. The fertile land extends a little farther 
back from the banks of the river, and the palms are 
larger. The prospect is bounded by ranges of moun- 
tains, not very high, but very curious, and characteristic 
of the country — in their form pyramidal, 



CHAPTER XVI. 



TEMPLE OF AMADA — KOROSKO — ANOTHER VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR— 

BREAKFAST ADVERSE WIND OUR OSTRICH — AN INCIDENT DAK- 

KAH — CHARACTER OF THE SCULPTURES — DANCE OF THE NATIVES — 
GERF HOSSEYN — LAWLESS MEN — IMITATION — A SCORPION — REMEDY 
FOR THE BITE. 

We next visited the small temple of Amada, not far 
from D'err. This is of the time of Osirtarsin III., 
about 1636 b. c. Like the one at Aboo-Simbel, it is cut 
in the rock, and was much filled with sand. "We found 
the sculptures very fine, and the colors exceedingly- 
brilliant. We made out several cartouches of Osirtar- 
sin, who reigned near the time that Joseph died, and 
also of Thothmes HI., distinguished for being the Pha- 
raoh that would not let Moses and his people go. 

While at Korosko, on the morning of the 5th, we 
were again surprised by an early visit from the Gover- 
nor of Derr, who had arrived there the previous even- 
ing. We endeavored to make him as comfortable at 
our breakfast table as he had made us under the syca- 
more tree. 



124 



A GOVERNOR. 



When seated at the table he waited for a servant to 
bring him a basin of water and a towel ; he then took 
his napkin from the plate, spread it wide before him, 
and rolled np his full sleeves far above the elbow. Thus 
prepared, he took a large spoon, and without ceremony- 
dipped into a dish of pilav, carrying the contents of 
the spoon directly to his mouth. Achmed, who was in 
waiting, and upon the look-out for an exhibition of 
some custom not quite congenial to our tastes, happily 
anticipated him before he could repeat the process, and 
helped him to a bountiful supply on his own plate, from 
which he continued to feed himself with his spoon. At 
length he made an attack upon a good round potato 
that lay upon his plate, but finding it unmanageable, he 
said, despairingly, to Achmed, " I can't do it." " Never 
mind, use your fingers," said the good-natured Achmed 
to him. "But that would be a shame," replied the 
Governor. However, on the assurance of Achmed that 
it would be all right, he commenced, a la Turque, and 
some of us, for courtesy's sake, made rather unwonted 
use of our fingers in picking chicken bones, etc., which 
he could not help seeing, being opposite. He was 
really a fine specimen of a Turk, and so good-natured 
and obliging that it would have been a shame indeed 
for him to suffer from embarrassment. 

We were constrained, by the force of the opposing 
wind, to remain the greater part of the day at anchor, 
and amused ourselves by going on shore to gather 
plants and gaze at the natives. It was not a little di- 



iNTTBIA. 



125 



verting to watch the habits of our young ostrich, who, 
on these occasions, was allowed his liberty with the 
other fowls. He did not evince a friendly or social dis- 
position, and seemed inclined to pick quarrels with his 
more meek and peaceful companions. He would inva- 
riably make an onset at the turkeys, and peck most 
unmercifully the feet of these unresisting creatures, the 
consequence of which was, of course, more restriction 
to my young lord. 

A diverting incident of the same day deserves to be 
recorded, on account of its relation to metempsychosis. 

While we were quietly seated in our boat, occupied 
with books, writing, etc., there was a cry of " Timsahf* 
(crocodile.) In a second of time we were upon deck, 
and saw a large object at some distance from us, which 
we supposed, of course, to be a crocodile. He was 
frisking about and making a great splash in the water. 
We were delighted with the idea of seeing his majesty 
near to us in gala humor, when one of our men, who 
had an ambition to make a conquest of one of these 
river gods, armed himself with his gun, and with two 
or three others, slipped off in the small boat, to invade 
his premises. This, of course, put an end to our hopes, 
for his majesty naturally sought refuge in his strong- 
holds ; but, notwithstanding this unceremonious leave- 
taking, he was destined to furnish us with an evening's 
entertainment. Soter had been having a parley with 
an old Nubian, and in the evening came to us breath- 
less with astonishment, saying " he had heard something 



126 



NUBIA. 



he never heard before in all his life." The great fish, as 
he called what we had supposed to be a crocodile, was 
not a real fish, but a man, who used to live in that 
neighborhood, and who, for some misconduct, had 
been transformed by his wife into a fish having hands 
and arms, and doomed by her to three years' ban- 
ishment in this watery prison. We were, of course, 
much astonished, and called upon our dragoman for 
an explanation. He declared that he did not think 
such things could now be done here, because, since 
the time of Mehemed Ali, all the enchanters had 
been put in the prisons at Cairo, though farther 
up, in Dongola, for instance, women have the power 
of turning their husbands, for misdemeanor, into any 
kind of animal, the monkey being the most common. 
" Very well, Achmed, but what is the crime that in 
their judgment merits such dreadful punishment? 55 
" When he go take another wife, 55 was his reply. 

As Achmed is an enlightened Arab, having trav- 
elled sixteen years with English and Americans, there 
could be no appeal from him. Upon the whole, I think 
we may safely say that we have seen a merman, since 
Achmed says he knows he saw him raise his hands and 
arms, imploringly, three times. 

The wind ceased its hostilities a little early on the 
morning of the 7th, and we made use of the respite to 
get to the next temple at Dakkah. We thought our- 
selves fortunate in accomplishing thus much, for di- 
rectly after we had reached it, the wind commenced 



NUBIA — DAKKAH. 



127 



blowing again so furiously, that we were greatly an- 
noyed by it while exploring the ruin. 

But in spite of our buffetings with the sand, which 
at times nearly choked and blinded us, we enjoyed this 
temple very much. Its antiquity cannot be traced be- 
yond the time of the Ptolemies. Figures, descriptive 
of religious subjects, cover the walls, but there are no 
historical representations. The sculptures are much 
more rounded and graceful than those of earlier Egyp- 
tians, and full of beauty. There was one face particu- 
larly beautiful, the head covered with a helmet, closely 
resembling that which characterizes Minerva. The 
early Christians, who converted some parts of this 
building into places of worship for themselves, have 
covered the heathen images with plaister, and in the 
place of them have left most unsightly objects, intend- 
ed probably for saints. Certain that it would be im- 
possible to make any headway in our boat, we sought 
as good a shelter as we could find from the wind and 
sand behind some of the old walls. 

A group of native men had, as usual, clustered 
round, and Achmed, who on these occasions always 
acted upon the principle of reciprocity, invited them 
to dance for our amusement. Certainly the novelty of 
the thing surprised us ; but nothing could be more un- 
graceful than their movements, which were chiefly un- 
natural contortions of the chest and shoulders. The 
spectators belonging to their own party, however, 
seemed highly gratified. 



128 



NUBIA — GERE HOSSEYN. 



We managed, with difficulty, to get to Gerf Hos- 
seyn on the morning of the 8th. The temple at this 
place, of the time of the Great Remeses, like the other 
gigantic monuments of his power that we had seen, 
is cut out of a solid rock. The area, which is separate 
from the rock, having four columns in front, with four 
Osirides, is striking as seen from the river. But it does 
not bear a near examination. The figures are muti- 
lated, and have no beauty of design or execution to 
recommend them. The interior is of the same rude 
workmanship ; but the six immense columns, support- 
ing Osirides, of twenty feet in height, cannot fail to 
awaken a feeling of awe as one comes unexpectedly 
upon them. They have not the same dignity of ex- 
pression as those at Aboo-Simbel. Unlike the other 
temples, this one contains groups of deities, in niches, 
on either side of the corridors. It is used as a place 
of refuge for animals and men, and is badly smoked. 

The men of this vicinity are extremely lawless. On 
our arrival at the. temple we found a scene of great 
confusion and uproar. As many as twenty or thirty 
men were already there, with lighted torches, running 
hither and thither, and looking so wild that we begged 
Achmed to have some of them put out, and restore a 
little order. But the wonder-working authority usually 
exerted by this Napoleon of dragomans had found a 
limit. "This people" were beyond his control. In- 
deed, he so well knew the mettle of which they were 
made that he resorted more than usual to coaxing, and 



NUBIA— GERF HOSSETO. 



129 



finding that unsuccessful, he assumed about the same 
tone of remonstrance and authority that one is apt to 
who feels himself to be the weaker party. They stood 
their ground, flying about with immense torches, that 
filled the temple with smoke. 

When we took our departure, they followed us to 
the boat, and were joined by many more, with women 
and children. All, even the women, were armed with 
rusty guns, spears, or knives. They were no longer an 
annoyance, but amused us very much by their excessive 
wildness. They were frolicksome, playing off sham 
fights, and surprised us by repeating after us whatever 
we said. Indeed, this imitation was so exact, that when 
we first heard some one say, " They are worse at Ka- 
labsha," as if it had been an echo of the same remark 
just made by Achmed, we involuntarily turned round 
to see if there were some stranger present who spoke 
English. We amused ourselves afterwards with exper- 
iments, and they never failed to repeat what we said. 

A little boy offered some pebbles to Mr. . " No, 

my son," said the latter. " No, my son," echoed the 
little urchin. " You little parrot," said one of our 
party. 44 You little parrot," repeated the boy. They 
stuck to us until the last moment of pushing off; 
indeed, we had some difficulty in getting rid of 
them. 

One of our men while sleeping on the shore was 
stung by a scorpion. The remedy applied was very 
simple, and saved him from all severe effects. An in- 
6* 



130 



NUBIA. 



cision was made with a knife, which, caused the blood 
to flow a little ; the wound was rubbed with onion, 
and then bound up in onion and salt. He was well in 
a day's time. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



DENDOOR — KALABSHA — DESCRIPTION OF THE RUIN BY BURCKHARDT 

" HOUSE OF THE SAINT " BEAUTY OF SCENERY CHARACTER OF 

IT TAFA INHABITANTS LIVELY WELCOME BACKSHEESH A 

BEAUTIFUL CHILD — OPHTHALMIA? — THE TEMPLES FINE EVENING 

AND SCENERY. 

Theke is little remaining of the temple of Dendoor, 
which we visited on the morning of the 9th, although 
from the heaps of stones covering the ground, it must 
have been of great size. It is of the time of Augustus, 
and consequently the sculptures are less angular than 
those of a remoter period. 

We made but little progress, and the utmost that 
could be accomplished, by tracking, was to get to 
the temple of Kalabsha before dark. We went to 
this temple at an early hour in the morning, and the 
first view of this chaos of stupendous propyla, spacious 
vestibules, gigantic columns, and huge rocks, was over- 
powering. Burckhardt has given so fine a description 
of this magnificent ruin, that I cannot refrain from copy- 
ing it for the benefit of those who may not have access 
to his interesting work : 



132 



TEMPLE OF KALABSHA. 



" At the foot of the hill, in the midst of the village, 
and reaching down to the river, is the ruin of a very- 
large temple. The front of the temple consists of a 
large propylon of great beauty and simplicity, with a 
gate in the centre, by which the portico is entered ; 
there had been a colonnade along the side wall of the 
latter, but one column only now remains, three feet 
three inches in diameter ; the fragments of the others 
are lying in the area. On each side of the portico, and 
communicating with it, is a narrow, dark passage, with 
a door opening into the area, which surrounds the tem- 
ple, opposite a large gateway formed in the wall of the 
outer, or general inclosure. 

" The front of the pronaos is decorated with four 
beautiful columns and two pilasters ; the columns are 
united by a wall rising to half their height, similar to 
what is seen at Dakka, Dendoor, &c, a mode of con- 
struction belonging apparently to the time when the 
temples at Tintyra and Philae were built. The roof 
of the pronaos has fallen in, and now covers the floor ; 
of the columns that supported it, only two remain. 

" There are no sculptures of any kind, either on the 
propylon or in the pronaos, except on the back wall of 
the latter, or rather on the front wall of the cella, 
where the two-headed Briareus, under the hand of the 
victor, and protected by Osiris, is the most conspic- 
uous. 

"The cella is fifteen paces in length by nine in 
breadth, and projects several feet into the pronaos, thus 



TEMPLE OF KALABSHA. 



133 



forming, as it were, an insulated chamber in the midst 
of the temple, a mode of construction which I observed 
at Dakke and afterwards at Philse ; two low columns 
stand within the cella. In the adytum are the remains 
of columns lying on the ground, the only instance of 
the kind I have seen in any Egyptian temple ; in its 
walls are some low dark recesses and windows or loop- 
holes, like those at Tintyra ; its roof is formed of sin- 
gle blocks of stone, reaching the whole breadth, and 
upwards of three feet in thickness. 

" There is a chamber behind the adytum, as at 
Dakke, and communicating with it by two doors ; the 
roof has fallen in, but it may be seen that the cham- 
ber was lower than the adytum, and had a chamber 
over it. 

" In the walls of this chamber are several cells or 
recesses, each of which forms two small apartments, 
one behind the other, divided by a narrow entrance, 
and just sufficiently large to hold one person ; they are 
closed in front by a stone, which may be removed at 
pleasure, and were perhaps prisons for refractory 
priests, or places of probation for those who aspired to 
the priesthood. The persons who were placed in thetn 
may be literally said to have been shut up in the wall, 
as there is not the slightest appearance of any recess 
being there when the stones which close the outer en- 
trance are in their places. I observed a hollow stone 
in the interior of one of them ; but I am not certain 
whether it was a sarcophagus or not. 



134 



TEMPLE OF KALABSHA. 



"The walls of the cell and adytum are covered 
with painted figures, the colors of which remain tolera- 
bly perfect, more so than those at Philae, owing to a 
coat of plaister having been laid upon the walls by the 
Greeks, to receive the paintings of their saints, but 
which have for the most part fallen off; the colors gen- 
erally used are red, blue, green, and black. The hawk- 
headed Osiris, with a staff in one hand, is painted of a 
light-green color, — some females holding the lotus in 
their hands are quite black ; the various-colored striped 
robes of the Osiris, with a tiara on his head, have a 
most gaudy appearance ; the hair, in general, of all the 
figures is painted black, though in some it is blue ; the 
spaces between the different figures are covered with 
hieroglyphics, painted red. On the lower part of the 
side walls of the adytum are single human figures, each 
with an animal by its side, generally an ox, a gazelle, or 
a goose. 

" The exterior walls of the temple are covered with 
sculptures of colossal figures, like those of Tintyra and 
Edfou, though not so large ; they are rudely executed, 
and by no means correspond with the beauty of the 
sculpture in the interior of the chambers. Heads of 
sphinxes project from the walls, as at Tintyra, through 
which, perhaps, the priests delivered their oracles. 

" The walls of the portico are prolonged the whole 
length of the temple, and by means of a transverse wall 
in the rear of the chamber, behind the adytum, form a 
high inclosure all round, at about twenty feet beyond 



TEMPLE OF KALABSHA. 



135 



which is the general inclosure to the whole building. 
This is carried to the foot of the hill, which has been 
cut down perpendicularly, so as to serve as the end 
wall. In the southwest corner of the area thus formed 
around the temple is a small quadrangle, formed on 
one side by three columns, and on the adjacent interior 
side by a short wall built across the area ; here a 
grotto or sepulchre has been hewn in the perpendicular 
rock, similar to what I noticed behind the temple at 
Dandoor ; it consists of a single chamber, with the 
winged globe over the entrance, but without any other 
sculpture. 

" A flight of steps leads from the propylon down to 
a paved terrace, which extends to the foundations of 
an oblong building, standing just over the river, where 
are some fragments of columns. Visitors by water, 
during the inundations, might have stepped from their 
vessels into this building. 

" The temple of Kalabsha deserves to rank, with 
that of Dakke, amongst the most precious remains of 
Egyptian antiquity. In its site it is to be compared to 
the temples of Tintyra and Edfou. It belongs to the 
best periods of Egyptian architecture, though it bears 
traces, in several of its parts, of a less careful and more 
hurried execution than that of the two temples just 
mentioned." 

Close by is a small temple called the " House of the 
Saint," of the time of Remeses II., and extremely in- 
teresting. The sculptures are carefully executed, and 



136 



TEMPLE OF KALABSHA. 



the colors more brilliant than any we had yet seen. 
After being wet with a sponge they had the freshness 
of having been just put on. 

Injustice to the people of Kalabsha I ought to say, 
that we found them no worse than elsewhere ; indeed, 
they were much more subdued than at Gerf Hosseyn, 
and although rude, were obliging. 

We had here one of those enchanting combinations 
of beauty that chain the beholder to the spot. The 
river is narrow and flows gently by. The opposite 
banks are verdant, and under foot is a rich, fertile field 
of grain, the deep green of which is most refreshing 
to the eye. You descend a few steps and peep through 
a lovely little grove of palms, mimosas, and acacias, 
bordering the bank, into the water sparkling beneath. 
We found it difficult to break the spell that bound us, 
and for many a long day after the somewhat uneupho- 
nious word Kalabsha had a talismanic effect upon us. 

We were off again before noon. The enjoyment 
of the whole of this day was so transcendent as to 
render it an ever-memorable one among the many that 
we passed so happily on the Nile. Our boat glided 
slowly along through the midst of the most interesting 
scenery we had had in Nubia. The river, apparently 
locked in by projecting masses of rock, appeared like 
a lake ; and scarcely had we ceased wondering at the 
grotesque forms of huge piles of basalt and granite 
that seemed artistically placed so as to produce the 
finest imitative effect of mummies, giants with cows' 



TAPHIS. 



137 



heads, apes, sphinxes, lions, — in short, monsters of all 
sorts peculiar to this region, — when, as we passed a 
promontory, there opened upon us another variety of 
these freaks of nature ; and cities set upon a hill, 
crowned castles, spires, and domes, were clearly before 
us, with very little aid of imagination. So exactly do 
many of the forms resemble the representations of the 
gods of the ancient Egyptians, that one is almost 
forced to believe that it was here they found their 
models. 

As we approached the shore at Tafa, or Taphis, m 
the evening, we received a diverting welcome from the 
inhabitants — men, women, and children — who, having 
seen us from a distance, came rushing down the hill 
to meet us, bounding, shouting, and flourishing their 
spears, in an exuberance of unrestrained spirits. The 
glittering of their arms, and the wildness of their de- 
meanor, rendered the scene quite effective. They had 
ample time to reach the shore before us. There were 
among them twenty or thirty finely-formed boys, who 
had paraded themselves on the bank, awakening in the 
mind the recollection of bronze statuary, slightly 
draped, and having the novel property of animation ; 
for their pleasure at seeing us was manifested in a 
lively manner, by leaping and dexterous movements 
with the spear. There was one among them who as- 
pired to the decorative, and a loose garment, thrown 
over one shoulder, simply confined round the waist by 
a scarf, falling below in the form of a tunic, showed 



138 



TAPHIS. 



that he, at least, understood the art of setting off a 
fine form. He seemed perfectly satisfied with his toi- 
lette, and was the only one of the party who had a 
gun, of which he was as proud as of his dress. He 
begged hard for powder, and having received some, 
slyly transferred his gun to the hands of another, who, 
pretending it was his own, solicited with equal earnest- 
ness for more. 

We were almost deafened by the cries of back- 
sheesh ; indeed, we had nowhere encountered such a 
troop of persevering beggars. We were much struck 
by the beauty of a child in the arms of an old woman, 
who also pleaded resolutely for backsheesh. Some one 
of us, wishing to test her nature, proposed to relieve 
her of the child, offering to take it home, and bring it 
up carefully. It was gladdening to the heart to see 
the old crone hug it more closely to her, — a delightful 
vindication of the strength of love in the bosom of the 
untutored mother. 

Miserable objects, suffering from ophthalmia and 
decrepitude, begged for medicines. These simple crea- 
tures evidently rely very much upon the superior wis- 
dom of enlightened travellers who come among them ; 
and who shall say that, for want of a better physi- 
cian, the remedies they chance to receive from them, 
if they possess no deleterious qualities, may not, in 
many instances, prove a blessing ? If benefited in no 
other way, they are, at least, as liable to be acted on 
through the imagination as more enlightened persons. 



A TROPICAL EVESTTNG. 



139 



Scarcely any thing remains of one of the templet 
at Tafa ; the other is very small, but in a fine condi- 
tion, haying only one room, in which are four beautiful 
columns, but no sculptures or inscriptions. It had been 
so long since we had seen a decent human habitation, 
that we could not help being struck with the fitness of 
this as a place of residence for some person of taste, 
and speculated upon the ease with which a little con- 
trivance would transform it from a musty temple into 
a bijou of a palace. 

The evening was one of the finest that we had 
known in this Arcadian region. Although really out 
of the tropics, having bid adieu to them at Kalabsha, 
we were not far enough distant to perceive any change ; 
and the peculiarly soft and transparent hues of a trop- 
ical sunset hardly ceased to glow, when the moon poured 
her scarcely less luminous beams upon the face of na- 
ture, and bathed the rocky cliffs in a mystic light, that 
made them seem doubly a mockery of art, if, indeed, 
art be not a mockery of them. The glory of the heav- 
ens, transferred to the reflecting bosom of the water, 
was multiplied in the ripple occasioned by the oars ; 
and as, lost in revery, we gazed at those lucid orbs, far 
down below, playing tricks upon our fancy, in a sort 
of " hide-and-seek " frolic, might we not be pardoned 
if we were found sporting, like children, with these 
images of the deep. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



DEATH OF OUR OSTRICH— ITS PECULIARITIES — AN INCIDENT IN A NU- 
BIAN TILLAGE A DANCE HABITS OF THE CREW AT EVENING 

MONOTONOUS SOUNDS PHIL^E DESCENT OF THE CATARACT — AN- 
OTHER VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF DERR — GOVERNOR OF ASSUAN' 
QUARRIES AT ASSUAN — AN INCIDENT IN OUR BOAT. 

On the morning of the 11th we were all grieved to 
learn that our young ostrich was found dead in his 
cage. He had fallen a victim to his own restless spirit 
and quarrelsdme disposition. With such a character, 
it was scarcely possible that we could have become 
very fond of him as a pet, and therefore there were no 
tears shed upon this occasion, even by those whose 
privilege it is to weep. But we were all sorry to lose 
an object that had interested us extremely by an ex- 
hibition of those very habits which had prevented our 
attaching ourselves to him. He was quite young, not 
more than half grown ; and his invincible hatred of re- 
straint must have been a part of his nature, for he had 
not roamed long enough over his desert home to have 
acquired the love of freedom that was so strong in him. 



OUR OSTRICH. 141 

An abode had been made for him in one corner of the 
deck by putting together a few rough boards, uncov- 
ered at the top. The uneasiness he manifested there 
induced us to give him the latitude of the boat. But 
we soon found that this would not answer, for he inva- 
riably strode directly to the fire-place, and fearless of 
the burning coals, picked them up as he would have 
done gravel. Then his range was limited to the cabin, 
and as he was an unwelcome and annoying guest to the 
inmates of the inner room, a bar of five or six inches 
in depth was placed on the threshold of the door be- 
tween the two rooms, so that he should be confined to 
the outer one. This rendered him exceedingly uneasy. 
It was impossible to divert his attention from this 
boundary of his freedom, and he would walk inces- 
santly, back and forth, before it, without its once oc- 
curring to him that it would be the easiest thing possi- 
ble for him to step over it. He never once attempted 
it. The same uneasiness prevailed while he was in the 
cage. He was never a moment still during the day ; 
and it was owing to the continual movement of the 
neck from one side to the other, rubbing upon a board, 
that a wound, received in that part of his body in one 
of his quarrels, became aggravated, and caused his 
death. There is no denying that he was a remarkably 
stupid " bird." 

In the afternoon, the wind being again somewhat 
formidable, we decided to give our sailors a little rest ; 
and, making our boat fast, went up the bank, and seated 



142 



JSTUBIAlSi LIFE. 



ourselves in the shade of a large mimosa. As we "wan- 
dered about in a delicious grove of palms, sycamores, 
and mimosas, the air perfumed with the blossoms of 
the palm, and the light and delicate acacias, gay with 
small bright-yellow flowers, I almost envied this people 
their little paradise. We strolled on a little farther, 
when we got a glimpse of the mud cabins, and our ap- 
pearance drew forth the ragged and dirty occupants. 
The vision of happiness was at an end. Bliss and rags 
do not often go together in our fancies. 

We stood still, and were directly surrounded by a 
dozen or more women, who commenced showing us 
their necklaces and bracelets, begging us to buy them. 
They were too ordinary to be in the least degree tempt- 
ing, being nothing but glass beads of various colors. 
One of our party, however, made an offer to one of 
them for some trinket, which the owner declined. One 
of her own people, standing by, said, " Take a piastre 
for it ; it will furnish you with food for a fortnight." 
" And am I dying with hunger, that I should sell it ? " 
said she to him, in reply ; and, in truth, they were very 
far from being in a starving condition. Like all the 
Nubians, their wants are few, and they are easily con- 
tented. 

There was among them a pretty woman, who threw 
the coarse blanket from a baby in her arms, and in- 
sisted upon giving to me the infant. Wishing to 
see if she were really in earnest, I ordered our drago- 
man to take the child, which he accordingly did, and 



NUBIAN LIFE. 



143 



carried the joke farther than I had intended; bearing 
off the poor victim of my ungenerous curiosity. The 
child began to cry, and its little brother, four or five 
years old, cried piteously, and showed his indignation 
by beating his mother. It was in vain that I directed 
Achmed to give back the infant. An evil spirit of mis- 
chief was awakened in him, and he mercilessly persisted 
in. carrying the little creature, to show it, as he said, to 

Mrs. , who was at some distance from us. There 

was no way but to bide his time, and we followed him, 
the baby screaming, the little boy sobbing, scolding and 
beating his mother ; myself, the cause of the storm, 
nervously entreating that the child might be restored ; 
a rabble of women and children crowding upon us to 
see the result ; the mother the only calm person of the 
party. * It seemed to me we should never reach the 

spot where we left Mrs. ; but when we did, the 

child was placed in its mother's arms, and the tears that 
rolled down the cheeks of the indignant boy were 
dried, with difficulty, by hamseh fuddehs, although he 
ceased not to chide and strike his mother, whom he led 
off from the spot for better security. 

This rather tragical incident was followed by an en- 
tertainment of a different character. Several of the 
native men assembled on the green plat to honor us 
with a dance. Our boatmen joined them, and they 
jumped, whirled and curveted to the music of the 
darabouka and tambourin. The girls who were there 
could not be induced to join the dance, although an old 



144 



NUBIAN LIFE. 



woman, in consideration of a backsheesh, figured quite 
gracefully, much to the chagrin of her younger sister, 
who reproached her for having brought disgrace upon 
the family. The men had much fun in draping them- 
selves like women, by the aid of blankets, and thus per- 
sonating them in the dance. 

After this little rest and recreation the sailors re- 
turned to their laborious task of tracking, with renewed 
spirits, and we proceeded in this manner until the even- 
ing gave them the usual opportunity for repose. 

Invariably, when we drew up at evening, we were 
no sooner firmly bound to the shore, and every thing 
properly ordered for the night, than the boatmen, freed 
from all duty, bounded up the bank of the river, and, 
gathering together the fagots, and whatever was at 
hand that might serve them for fuel, speedily ignited 
them by means of matches, and forming a circle round 
the fire, one of them, taking the indispensable dara- 
bouka, commenced one of their monotonous airs, while 
the rest chimed in with their voices. 

They were a pleasing sight, thus grouped under a 
tree, in the flickering glare of firelight ; and the lulling 
sound of the music was most agreeable. Nor was it at 
all times by the uniform notes of the darabouka, and 
the voices of our men, that our senses were composed 
to sweet oblivion. All sounds conspired to produce the 
sense of monotony. The distant creaking of the sakia, 
which knew no rest, was sometimes combined with the 
more animating notes of the frog. I will not say that 



PHILJE. 



145 



the music of the latter was propitious to the gentle in- 
fluences of slumber. It was in vain that the " drowsy 
god " was wooed when these harbingers of spring set 
up their discordant notes, replete with reminiscences of 
childhood and youth, and even riper years. Upon one 
occasion, when the wind was very strong, the fire, made 
in the way above mentioned, spread among the dry 
grass and shrubs, and became quite alarming, so that 
vigorous measures were required to subdue it. 

Our boat was oft' early in the morning, and we were 
roused in time to rally on deck and enjoy the enchant- 
ing scenery. Here we were again in the midst of fan- 
tastic rocks. Cities, towns, and spires, pyla and pro- 
pyla, and monsters of every description, formed of 
variously colored granitic rocks, were towering about 
us. Ah hour or two, passing but too rapidly, brought 
us to the beautiful island of Philae. This charming 
spot, formerly sacred to the gods of Egypt, is so re- 
nowned for its loveliness, that whatever expressions I 
may use, in my endeavors to speak of it, will not be 
deemed extravagant. 

On our upward course, we had passed one or two 
ever memorable days in this dream-land, and were no- 
wise loth to avail ourselves of the inexorable wind for 
another day, which was spent in examining the piles of 
ruined temples that cover the island. An interest in 
the examination of the hieroglyphical records of Egyp- 
tian faith, which had but just dawned when we were 
first here, had naturally, from our greater familiarity 
1 



146 



with them, become somewhat intense, and, with only- 
Miss Martineau's most erroneous explanations for a 
guide, I was lost in a maze of unsatisfied curiosity. 
Often did we wish that the once sealed book, which, 
thanks to Champollion, Wilkinson, and others, is now 
open, had been rendered more available to us. Wil- 
kinson's large work, which is too voluminous for a trav- 
eller, we did not have, and his hand-book contains 
nothing that can throw light upon them. So badly 
qualified for the study before us, I groped about with 
painfully ungratified interest. I could not withdraw 
myself from the absorbing effort of endeavoring to 
make an intelligible translation of the story, written on 
the walls before us, of the burial scenes of Osiris, and 
other subjects of Egyptian faith. But ignorance and 
imagination are very poor guides to truth, and, after 
wasting too much time in these fruitless efforts, I tore 
myself from them, vexed with myself for being unsuc- 
cessful, vexed with the meagre exposition in Wilkin- 
son's guide-book, and more than all vexed with the 
ignis fatuus light thrown upon them by Miss Marti- 
neau. 

Mounting to the top of the propylon, late in the 
afternoon, a view far more compensating met the eye. 
One of the brightest pages in nature's book lay before 
us, and we needed no interpreter to enable us to read 
what was there displayed — the rocks, and trees, and 
water, and atmosphere, and light, and color, all blended 
in perfect harmony. Golden sunlight fell upon the 



PHIL^E. 



147 



tranquil surface of small bodies of water, encircled and 
detached by rocks, upon which towering, graceful, and 
waving palms cast their shadows. These seeming lakes 
looked like a fitting abode for naiads ; and surely never 
could wood-nymph have sought a more lovely sylvan 
retreat than would have been furnished by the dark, 
fresh green shrubbery and trees that surrounded them. 
Looking upward, we beheld mountains and eminences 
illuminated with glowing sunbeams ; all nature was liv- 
ing, fresh, and animating. It was only as we turned 
and beheld at our feet the crumbling masses of rock, 
the yet remaining monuments of man's longing after 
immortality, that a feeling of melancholy became 
blended with the universal joy. A Te Deam of grati- 
tude for the Revelation that illuminates our path would 
have been a befitting farewell to this spot. It is no 
wonder that this insulated region, solitary, grand, and 
beautiful, the very home of meditation, should have 
been religiously consecrated as the abode of the gods ; 
and the fact that it was so betokens how highly the 
Egyptians, at an early period, appreciated the beauty 
of natural scenery. 

"We descended to our boat just at the very witching 
hour of day, and pushed off into the stream, to take 
our last " longing, lingering look " at the ruins. Noth- 
ing could surpass the glory of the scene, as the parting 
glow of the setting sun faded upon these vestiges of 
human power, multiplying at each moment the sphinxes 
and giant gods that stood out among the rocks, in bold 



148 



CATARACT — PILOTS. 



relief against the radiant sky, as guardians of the hal- 
lowed spot. 

"We passed the night just above the cataract, and 
at an early hour in the morning were in readiness for 
the descent. The fall of the river at this place is very 
trifling, but the channel is interrupted by rocky islands, 
and the tortuous passage of the water among them 
renders the navigation difficult. The rights and privi- 
leges of pilotage are invested in a certain race, which 
has some peculiarities worth mentioning. They are a 
little community, having common rights and property, 
and whatever money they receive is equally divided 
among men, women, and children. They never marry 
out of their own tribe. In consideration of the danger 
and fatigue attending their employment, they are ex- 
empt from the heavy taxes inflicted upon the rest of the 
Nubians. 

From a high point of the river's bank we could 
overlook the whole scene, and seldom have I witnessed 
any thing more exciting than the passage of our boat 
over the rapids. When we first saw her she looked 
strangely enough, and we scarcely recognized our well- 
ordered, quiet little dwelling, crowded as it was with a 
beggarly-looking set of Arabs. Four men were at each 
oar, and she came swiftly but steadily along, until she 
reached the rapids, when the oars were suddenly and 
simultaneously dropped, and the light and beautiful da- 
habiah went dancing and bounding over the foaming 
and roaring water, curveting gracefully, and suddenly, 



SECOND CATARACT. 



149 



like a thing of life, when she recovered from the plunge, 
amidst the wildest shouts and cheers of her numerous 
boatmen. There she waited fbr us, and we returned 
to be conveyed through a less formidable portion of 
the rapids. That omnipotent personage, the rais of the 
Cataract, manifested his superiority by screaming and 
shouting in a voice that might have drowned the roar 
of Niagara. He did nothing, that I could see, but ges- 
ticulate furiously, and as, in spite of it all, the boat went 
with some force against a rock, he became almost fran- 
tic, and redoubled the violence of his screams and wild 
gestures. The rudder, which was broken by this con- 
cussion, was soon repaired ; Scylla was passed without 
farther accident, and the captain's tranquillity was 
restored. 

Now came a demand from the captain of the Cata- 
ract for something to revive and cheer his spirits, after 
this exhausting performance, which had occupied about 
two hours. There was nothing singular in the demand, 
for many a Mussulman is as well aware of the restora- 
tive nature of gin as his Christian brethren. But the 
reason assigned for taking it at this time was quite 
novel to us, and shows a different state of society from 
any that we are accustomed to. He said that he espe- 
cially wished for some gin, because he was in the pres- 
ence of ladies. 

We were glad to get to Assuan, that we might be 
relieved of this troublesome people, and have our boat 
go through with a process of ablution. 



150 



A COLUMN AT ASSUAN. 



We received a visit from our old friend, the gov- 
ernor of Derr, at Philse, and another at Assuan. The 
governor of Assuan, a respectable-looking old Turk, 
called also. 

Among the objects of the greatest interest that we 
have seen are the quarries at Assuan. The rock is a 
very hard kind of granite. There are immense blocks of 
it lying about, and a column, partly buried by sand, the 
uncovered length of which measured ninety feet, and the 
sides of it, twelve. It lies there, unfinished, in the midst 
of chippings hewn from it, the marks of the chisel fresh 
as if it were the work of yesterday. The unusual ap- 
pearance of this scene of industry, in a land where the 
hammer and chisel are at present unknown, might al- 
most make one forget the country he is in, and lead 
him to expect the sound of the bell that was to call the 
laborers to finish their work. Nothing since Pompeii 
had so completely annihilated time. 

The governor of Assuan repeated his visit the next 
day, and showed his politeness by many really kind in- 
quiries after the ladies. But thou must stand aside, 
thou little great man, and make room for the illustrious 
prince who accompanies thee — a prince of the blood, a" 
nephew of Mehemed Ah. Some idea may be formed 
•of his superior rank and dignity by the efforts of Ach- 
med to have every thing in order. The rubbish of 
books, cages, chameleons, relics, stones, and the thou- 
sand and one et-cseteras that one may fancy accumulated 
about us in our little parlor, are removed to make way 



A VISIT. 



151 



for this distinguished person, who may not be put in a 
corner. The ladies take their places on the divan, 
upon one side of the room, and wait his arrival. No 
matter if their dresses are covered with dust and the 
marks of time, like those monuments from which this 
dust of ages has been brought. Turks are not permit- 
ted to look at ladies, and, of course, will take no notice 
of their dress. At length he arrives — a very handsome 
man he is, reminding one of a fine Titian — has black 
eyes, glancing from beneath long eyelashes, a heavy 
brow, fine mouth and teeth, jet black beard, and mous- 
tache. The neat and graceful arrangement of his dress 
shows that he has taste in these matters. The easy 
dignity with which he enters bespeaks a man of the 
world, one accustomed to society. He seats himself 
upon our high divan, not & la Turque, but like a Euro- 
pean. He knows what to do with his feet ; there is no 
awkwardness in his position, as if it were new to him. 
A pipe is brought him, which he declines; this is a 
tribute of respect to the ladies, and they pronounce 
him magnificent. He is certainly intelligent ; he mani- 
fests this by the interest he takes in a large map of the 
United States that is spread out before him. What if 
he does glance more frequently at the Christian women 
who are in his presence than at those colored lines upon 
a piece of paper — does it not prove a higher order of 
intellect — is not the study of human nature more ele- 
vated and interesting than geography ? And possibly 
it was better adapted to his comprehension ; for apro- 



152 



A VISIT. 



pos of the map, after infinite pains had been taken to 
impress him with the magnitude of our country and its 
improvements, by pointing out -the numerous canals, 
railroads, etc., he said, very quietly, but significantly, 
to Achmed, that he thought he did not interpret cor- 
rectly. His residence is at Osioot, and he was making 
a tour in his dominions for the purpose of looking at 
the wonders of the old Egyptians, as he said, but those 
who know the propensities of his race shrewdly guessed 
it was to enrich his coffers. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



TEMPLE OF KOMOMBO CHANGE IN THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY 

QUARRIES OF GEBEL SILSELEH — DISAPPOINTMENT EDFOO TEM- 
PLES RIDE TO EILETHTAS— CHARACTER OF THE DESERT TEMPLES 

AND TOMBS — ESNE — BREAD — TEMPLE — A CHAMELEON— ANOTHER 
OSTRICH — TEMPLE OF ARMENT ARRIVAL AT LUXOR. 

As there was little wind the night following, we took 
advantage of the moonlight to float down. Early in 
the morning the Pacha passed us in his steamer, and he 
graciously recognized and saluted us by piping up the 
steam-whistle. We returned the civility by popping 
off a volley of guns, Alexander insisting that eleven was 
the number for a Pacha. His highness replied, again, 
by a louder and shriller whistle. 

It proved to be fortunate that we made the most of 
the night, for the north- wind opposed us again inexora- 
bly throughout the day ; and it was not until the morning 
of the 16th that we were able to reach the temple of 
Kom Ombo. This ruin is full of melancholy interest. 
Its majestic columns, half buried in the sand, the enor- 
mous masses of hewn rocks piled in wild disorder, the 
fragments of crude brick, in short, the remains of archi- 
7* 



154 



DEPARTURE FROM NUBIA. 



tecture distinguishing different stages of the empire, 
and tracing back to a very remote period, combine to 
tell a tale of life, and hope, and exultation, and con- 
quest, and decay, that makes a more graphic impression 
upon the heart than all the hieroglyphical records of 
better preserved monuments. 

The face of the country was now decidedly changed. 
We had parted forever from those charming seques- 
tered nooks and crannies of Nubia, and were afloat 
upon the broad, boundless world. Wide-spread fields, 
covered with waving corn, touched a chord that vi- 
brated with the recollection of bustling human life. 
The toils and sorrows, perplexities and disappointments 
connected with the agriculture and commerce of a 
crowded population, came thronging upon the mind, 
and, in my inmost heart, I cried out, Nubia forever ! 

It was not without much effort that we got to the 
quarries of Gebel Silseleh, before the evening of the 
next day. We were a good deal disappointed to lose 
the opportunity of seeing by daylight these interesting 
and extensive quarries, which have furnished stone for 
nearly all the temples of Egypt. It was impossible by 
twilight to gratify our curiosity ; but, as we were a 
party of genuine philosophers, always endeavoring to 
make amends for such losses by a tenfold appreciation 
of whatever offered as a substitute, we found a compen- 
sation in the meditations awakened by the grotesque 
and picturesque appearance of our cavalcade, as it 
slowly and solemnly wound its way around rocky cliffs, 



RIDE TO EDFOO. 



155 



and down precipices, in the mingling and mystic light 
of the moon and the twilight. 

On our arrival at Edfoo, about noon of the 18th, we 
were surprised by the novel sight of richly caparisoned 
horses standing by the shore, and were much gratified 
to learn that they had been ordered to be placed there 
for our use, by the polite Pacha. Apart from the com- 
pliment, the exchange from the very diminutive and 
badly accoutred donkeys, to which we had so long been 
accustomed, was an agreeable one. The horses were, 
to those pigmies, what an elephant is to a horse, and 
our breasts swelled with pride on mounting them. 

Our ride, of not more than a mile, to the temple, 
was in great state. Our own somewhat formidable 
array was followed, as usual, by men, women and chil- 
dren. • The innocent curiosity of these people to see the 
most of us was by no means annoying, unless they ap- 
proached too near one's person, as was sometimes the 
case ; then, indeed, the spirit to repel surmounts all 
good-natured toleration, and they are made to under- 
stand that they must keep their distance. One cannot 
help comparing these excursions with those made in 
Italy, among the squalid, disgusting objects of that 
country, whose persecuting vociferations for buono mo- 
no almost drove one to madness. These simple natives 
never molest us with the cry of backsheesh, and are ex- 
tremely peaceable. 

The temples at Edfoo are of the time of the Ptol- 
emies. The largest is very grand in size and structure, 



156 



TEMPLE OF KDFOO. 



and wonderfully conserved. The propyla, which we 
calculated to be more than one hundred feet high, and 
one hundred wide, form one side of an area of vast size. 
Upon two other sides of the area are corridors, having 
each twelve large columns. On the side of the area, 
opposite to the propyla, is the portico of the temple, 
which is, unfortunately, filled with dirt to two-thirds of 
its height. The columns are truly gigantic, measuring 
nineteen feet in circumference. Some of the sculptures 
are tolerably done, but generally they are far inferior 
to those of an earlier period. 

The top of the propyla commands a fine view of a 
vast extent of fertile country, desert and mountains ; 
but the low, dingy huts of the modern Arabs contrast 
sadly with the ambitious edifice that towers among 
them. 

On the morning of the 19th we had a fine donkey 
ride to the ruins of Eilethyas, two or three miles distant 
from the river. The desert we passed over was highly 
interesting from the novelty of its character. Moun- 
tain torrents had formed recesses among the sand-stone 
hills, and the extensive plain was covered with pebbles 
of various colors, that had been washed down from 
them. The plain was interrupted by these thin ridges 
of hills, jutting out upon it, one after another, like scenery 
upon the stage, and there was a large hill of soft sand- 
stone, quite isolated from them, having the appearance 
of a crumbling ruin. Occasionally we came to pools 
of brackish water, and the earth was often covered with 



RUINS OF EILETHYAS. 



157 



white incrustations of natron. We passed by the re- 
mains of the immense wall of crude brick by which 
the ancient town of Eilethyas was once encompassed, 
and entered one of the openings, that we might see 
what was left of this devastated city. A few mounds, 
and some tufts of dried grass was all that rewarded our 
curiosity, although there is about here, as at the 
sites of the ruined cities generally in this undisturbed 
country, a great quantity of broken glass and crockery. 

There are the remains of three temples at Eilethyas, 
all in a very ruinous condition. In one of them, says 
Wilkinson, " is found the name of Hakie, which shows 
the temple to be of very ancient origin ; but who that 
distinguished person was, or at what time he lived, we 
are not informed. More certain dates after him are 
those of Remeses II., 1355 b. c, and some of his prede- 
cessors, at least as far back as prior to the Exodus." 
One chamber, the only one remaining, contains repre- 
sentations of offerings of legs of mutton and beef, the 
heads of animals, sheaves of wheat, doura, fruits and 
vases. It is sculptured within and without, and the 
coloring in the interior is well preserved. The tombs, 
which are cut in the sides of the limestone mountains, 
are full of interest. They are vaulted rooms, with 
sculptured and painted walls, and painted ceilings. 
There is one among them, the records of which are sin- 
gularly interesting and impressive, laying before us the 
pursuits and manners of the occupants. It is an arched 
grotto of twenty-five feet in length, by fifteen in 



158 



TOMB AT EILETHYAS. 



breadth, and the centre of the arch is ten feet high. 
The sculpture, although not of the highest order of the 
Egyptians, is well done, and the coloring, in some parts, 
very fresh. 

Wilkinson gives the following faithful exposition of 
these pictorial vestiges : 

" In the first line in the agricultural scene, the peas- 
ants are employed in plowing and sowing, and from 
the car which is seen in the field, we are to infer that 
the owner of the land, (who is also the individual of the 
tomb,) has come to overlook them at their work. In 
the second line they reap wheat, barley and doura, the 
distinction being pointed out by their different heights. 
In the third is the carrying and tritura, or treading 
out of the ear, which was generally performed through- 
out Egypt by means of oxen, and the winnowing, meas- 
uring, and housing of the grain. The doura was not 
submitted to the same process as the wheat and barley, 
nor was it reaped by the sickle, but, after having been 
plucked up by the root, was bound in sheaves, and car- 
ried to the threshing-floor, where, by means of a wooden 
beam, whose upper extremity was furnished with three 
or four prongs, the grain was stripped from the stalks, 
which they forcibly drew through them. Below, are 
the cattle, pigs, asses, and goats belonging to the de- 
ceased, which are brought to be registered by the 
scribes. In another part they weigh the gold and his 
property ; there are fowling and fishing scenes, the oc- 
cupation of salting fish," &c. 



DETENTION AT ESNE. 



159 



The sickle used is like that of our day ; the sower 
scatters his seed most unsparingly, although the little 
basket he carries in one hand would not contain more 
than the quantity which falls from the other in a tor- 
rent. One detects, also, some awkwardness in the 
scribe, whose manner of holding his pen might be 
improved by a modern schoolmaster ; indeed, all the 
figures of men and women are characterized by unusual 
stiffness and want of grace. 

It will be readily perceived, that a work of this de- 
scription must have been done at a great expense, and 
bespeaks a wealthy owner. 

We arrived at Esne on the 20th, and like all travel- 
lers in these parts, were obliged to remain there twenty- 
four hours for the accommodation of our sailors, wjjjo 
were to make their bread here. 

The lack of energy and enterprise that marks the 
Arab is really incredible. Let any one who lives in the 
bustling West, where so much of this mechanical work 
is carried on by steam and electricity, think of the pos- 
sibility of a party of travellers being detained a day and 
night there for such a purpose. I can fancy the perfect 
restlessness that would be the consequence of such an 
occurrence, and how it would result in an incorporated 
establishment for the baking of bread. 

Now I must frankly admit, that accustomed as we 
had gradually become to the lazy habits of this ineffi- 
cient race, and philosophically as we had endeavored to 
reconcile ourselves to the many delays we had been 



160 



TEMPLE AT ESNE. 



obliged to encounter, yet this was rather too much for 
our equanimity. Still, we must give these poor crea- 
tures credit for using all possible dispatch under the cir- 
cumstances, for they buy their corn, grind it, and make 
their bread all in one day. 

The Governor directed the temple to be swept, and 
the earth to be sprinkled, and seats to be carried in, 
preparatory to our visiting it. So we were to see this 
relic of antiquity under quite new auspices. No clam- 
bering over rubbish or sand; and with seats for repose 
we were to make quite a luxurious affair of it. And, 
indeed, it did present a very different appearance from 
any thing we had seen. The portico, which was the only 
part exposed, was thoroughly excavated, and so little 
mutilated, that one found it difficult to believe that it 
could have stood there since the time of the Cresars. 

It is a vast hall, of great height, having immense col- 
umns, and the walls are entirely covered with all man- 
ner of unintelligible devices. It is supposed that a large 
part of the edifice remains buried in the dust, and that 
a farther excavation would bring to light porticoes be- 
longing to a far more remote period. It is much to the 
credit of the U powers that be," that the part of it al- 
ready brought into view, is kept in so good condition, 
and so well protected. It is barred to all, excepting 
visitors, and is free from the encroachments of mud huts. 

The fear that a chameleon, which we had had for 
several weeks, might find the sweets of liberty too en- 
ticing for him, prevented our letting him out of his 



A CHAMELEON. 



161 



cage. But, as he manifested no desire to leave his place 
of confinement, which was a large glass lantern, answer- 
ing admirably the use to which it was appropriated, we 
opened the door, and even put him out upon the car- 
pet ; but this real lover of home showed his fondness for 
it by returning directly to his domicil. There, perched 
upon the open door, he played the part of a cormorant, 
devouring all the flies that came within his reach. It 
was amusing to watch him as he caught them ; darting 
out his long tongue, which he never did until he had 
taken good aim, and was sure of his prey. Once within 
the reach of that tenacious member, the doomed victim 
was drawn without a struggle into his capacious maw. 
I have seen him devour a large number of them at one 
meal. His color underwent changes from a dark mot- 
tled green, or brown and black, to a beautiful light 
green, shaded into yellow, with spots of dark green, and 
sometimes black. We fancied that he was most con- 
tented and happy when of the pale green color, and that 
he became dark when annoyed. . His color did not seem 
to be affected by surrounding objects, but appeared to 
depend upon some property inherent in himself, and we 
could therefore readily understand the prevailing belief 
that the color of this animal is under the control of his 
will. He was seldom thirsty, but when he was so, drank 
freely. 

We were presented with another ostrich, not a strip- 
ling, but a full grown one. He had been too long ac- 
customed to striding over the desert to submit willingly 



162 



TEMPLE OF ARMEOT. 



to a more limited domain, and so he marched off with 
himself before he came into our possession. Recollect- 
ing the trouble the other had given us, we were nowise 
loth to leave him behind, which we did, with the assu- 
rance that, if retaken, he should be forwarded to us. 

We were cheated by some traveller's book into the 
belief that the temple of Arment was one that should 
not be neglected, and on the morning of the 23d we 
mounted donkeys and wended our way thitherward. 
We had, indeed, the agreeable diversion of a ride of 
about two miles, on a fine morning, over a plain that 
had nothing in particular to mark it. 

What remains of the temple is of inferior order. It 
appears to have been consecrated to Athor, and is cov- 
ered on the outside with representations of that god- 
dess and Cleopatra, who holds in her lap the little Cae- 
sar. We were induced to visit this temple, chiefly in 
the hope of seeing something that might be considered 
a portrait of that famous queen, but the uniformity of 
features and expression found in the various faces of 
Isis, Athor and Cleopatra, led us to believe that it was 
merely a conventional face. The disappointment grow- 
ing out of this affair was not of very long duration, for 
at 11 o'clock we were at Luxor. 

We had no sooner arrived than we received the civil- 
ities of consuls and sheikhs, and when the indispensable 
compliments and invitations to tea, and all kinds of well- 
meant offers were ended, we determined upon com- 
mencing our researches on the western side. 



CHAPTER XX. 



OUR ABODE AT THEBES — BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF ITS ENTIRONS — TISIT 
TO THE TOMBS OP THE KINGS — BELZONl'S TOMB — TOMB OP RE- 

MESES THE GREAT NO. II., HARPER'S OR BRUCe'S TOMB — TOMBS 

OF PRIESTS AND PRIVATE PERSONS — INTERESTING SCULPTURES* 

The tombs of the kings, and indeed all objects of inter- 
est, lay so far from the river that it became necessary 
to leave our boat and find some habitation nearer to 
them. By the aid of the consul, we had been provided 
with such a shelter as the place offered, and attended 
by him and all the elite that could be mustered, with 
their myrmidons, we made a triumphal march, on don- 
keys and steeds of Arab blood, over the plain of 
Thebes to our intended abode in that consecrated 
city of the dead. The shelter just mentioned ought 
to be regarded as sacred, as it was constructed of 
dust, in which had been accumulating for centuries 
the bodies of this almost imperishable race. The 
rude casements of the windows, the gates and the 
doors, were made of the wood of mummy boxes. 
There were several mummies posted around the walls 
of the court, which might be considered as our body- 



164 



THEBES. 



guard. The room in which I slept was filled with 
small jars or urns, crowned with heads of unearthly 
device. 

This habitation, the residence of a speculating Greek 
virtuoso, which, forlorn as it was, we thought ourselves 
fortunate in obtaining during the absence of the pro- 
prietor, was in the midst of mummy pits. Our way, in 
every direction, lay through narrow paths, winding 
among them. These excavations are the tombs of the 
less wealthy ; they are deep and walled up with crude 
brick. In the limestone mountains behind us were the 
tombs of the kings, the priests, and the nabobs of the 
land. Before us lay the vast plain of Thebes, divided 
by the river, on the opposite side of which stretched 
out the imposing ruins of El Karnak, and the beautiful 
temple of Luxor. Just beneath us, on the right, lay 
the fragments of the Memnonium, and in front of that 
are two statues in a sitting posture ; and although one 
of them is the famous vocal statue, whose classical 
celebrity ought to inspire reverence, yet the first sight 
of them caused no feeling of awe or admiration. 

This side of the river, once sacred to kings, priests, 
and the dead, is not an entire scene of desolation, 
where only mighty columns rear their heads, to fill one 
with solemn recollections of the past; the extensive 
plain is covered with rich, waving corn, interspersed 
with palms, whose freshness gladdens the heart, and 
contrasts strikingly with the sombre remains of bygone 
ages. In the midst of this verdure stand the Colossi, 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



165 



wholly divested of the surroundings which formerly 
harmonized with them, and from which they must have 
derived much of their grandeur. Seemingly misplaced, 
as they are, thus alone under the vast canopy of heaven, 
one wonders what they can be doing, and w^hy they 
are thus sitting there at their ease in this busy world, 
with their hands uj^on their knees. 

Thus much for a bird's-eye view of the tout ensemble. 
The next day w e made an excursion to the tombs of 
the kings. We entered first the one discovered by 
Belzoni, of which the colors are still surprisingly beau- 
tiful, although said to be much less brihiant than when 
opened by him for the first time thirty years ago. 
But it is not from its coloring, nor yet its sculptures, 
that this tomb derives its peculiar interest, for both of 
these ard inferior to what may be found in some others. 
There is a chamber here, which is a rare curiosity. In- 
stead of having been under the hands of the painter 
and the chiseller, like the others we had seen, the walls 
remain covered with drawings of very high merit. 
They are first done with red chalk, in a free, bold, 
artistic manner, then traced with black, for the sculptor, 
after which, in many instances, they have been correct- 
ed by the red chalk of the master. The comparative 
gracefulness of these drawings might show that the 
angles which characterize the paintings and sculptures 
of the Egyptians, are rather the fault of the colorer and 
chiseller, than of the designer. 

The joy of Belzoni must have been great, indeed, 



166 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



when he accidentally made the discovery of this room. 
He had proceeded some way into the tomb, when he 
apparently came to the end of it. But the hollow 
sound, produced by knocking on the wall, convinced 
him there was something beyond, and with palm trees 
for a battering ram, he made his way through, and 
came to a deep pit, which he filled up, and beyond, 
found the chamber so rich in drawings. But his 
search for the body of the king, like that of every other 
explorer before or after him, was in vain. Pits there 
are and cenotaphs to lead one astray, but where are the 
royal remains ? That is a secret to be yet discovered 
by those who are so fast laying open to us the history 
of past ages. The whole length of Belzoni's tomb is 
three hundred and twenty feet. 

We made an ineffectual attempt to enter the tomb 

of Remeses the Great. Mr. went in with great 

difficulty and some risk, upon his hands and knees, but 
saw nothing. The tomb is unfortunately ruined in 
consequence of water beneath. The limestone has 
crumbled, fallen in, and nearly closed it. 

Think what an amount of treasures and interesting 
lore is here lost ! I felt deep regret and disappoint- 
ment, for I had become so familiar with the works of 
this great Sesostris, that a high degree of interest and 
curiosity had been awakened to see what would be in 
all probability the most magnificent of the catacombs. 

Tomb No. 11, called Harper's or Bruce's, is the first 
ever entered by any European. 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



167 



In the little side chambers of this tomb are beauti- 
fully colored representations of leopard skins, rich 
woods, stuffs, and various articles of furniture. The 
most remarkable are beautiful vases, gracefully designed 
couches and chairs. 

No wonder that Bruce was regarded as a great 
story teller. Whose solitary word could be sufficient 
to satisfy even a credulous world, that there had been 
found, in a state of freshness, as if the work of yester- 
day, such skilful designs, telling a tale of the luxury, 
refinement, and elegance, the knowledge of arts and 
sciences, of a people who existed more than three 
thousand years ago ? 

We went into three or four other catacombs of the 
kings, but they contained nothing of interest in com- 
parison with those already described. 

The tombs of the priests and of some private indi- 
viduals afford more gratification. In the latter are 
sculptures of the finest detail imaginable ; human 
figures, boats, birds, chairs, vases, chiselled with the 
utmost precision. 

In one tomb is a spirited representation of a chase. 
The hunter with his bow is in pursuit of stags, gazelles, 
and hares. A hound is held in the leash by another 
person. Others are carrying birds by the neck, whose 
plumage is beautifully wrought. 

In another part, the lifeless waterfowl show that 
they have been the victims of the relentless sportsman, 



168 



TOMBS AT THEBES. 



and one mighty hunter is thrusting his spear into a 
hippopotamus, whose body is half covered by water. 

In this room we made a discovery in the representa- 
tion of a festive scene, which shows that poor human 
nature has been the same in all ages. One of the party 
seems to have found the wine a little too much for him, 
and has partly turned from the other guests, leaning 
on one elbow, with his head hanging sideways over the 
back of his chair. A servant, at a careful distance, 
makes a long arm and supports his forehead with his 
hand, while another holds a basin or properly speaking 
a vase. The lifeless suspension of one arm, and certain 
other indications, leave no doubt of his master's con- 
dition. 

In another room, where we found a great deal to 
fill us with admiration, are finely chiselled heads and 
busts. Upon the necks of many are necklaces, precisely 
like those worn by the Arab women at the present day, 
being formed of buttons closely strung. The hair 
is plaited in countless tresses, and elaborately curled. 
One person sits in a luxurious fauteuil ornamented with 
grotesque figures ; but the general design of it is so 
elegant that it might well serve as a model for a Pari- 
sian upholsterer. The helmet of the person thus seated 
is of great beauty. 

Mechanical occupations are portrayed on another 
wall, and in an adjoining apartment are represented ag- 
ricultural pursuits, of high interest. Here are oxen, 
that might bring a premium at one of our fairs, attached 



TOMBS AT THEBES. 



169 



to a plough, which is followed by the husbandman scat- 
tering his grain. There is the reaper with his sickle, 
and the rich, full-headed grain in bundles. In a room 
beyond is an admirably executed statue of a female in 
a sitting posture. 

Another room, which interested us deeply, we were 
sorry not to find mentioned in the guide-book. It is 
wide but not deep, with a row of square columns, the 
ceiling covered with a variety of unusual devices. "We 
were greatly perplexed in our attempts to discover the 
antiquity of the sculptures, which, on account of their 
unique character, we were desirous of doing. In many 
places the coating of hard plaster in which these fine 
representations are cut had scaled off, and beneath was 
discernible the work of another period. Wilkinson 
says that these tombs were frequently occupied by the 
second proprietor, and such had been the case with this 
one. 

Here were vases of great variety and beauty of form. 
One lady wears a delicately wrought lace dress that 
might vie with the fabric of Mechlin ; others have bod- 
ice waists, low necks, and a scarf, thrown gracefully over 
one shoulder, falls over the arm upon the other side. 
There you see a muslin dress with three flounces, and 
the toliette is frequently complete, even to a bouquet- 
holder, decorated with a tassel or loops of beads, just 
like those of our day, in which are placed nosegays. 

Have Parisian modistes, upholsterers, and artisans 
been here, or has our age been characterized by pre- 
8 



170 



TOMBS AT THEBES. 



cisely the same inventive taste that so many centuries 
ago fashioned articles of luxury similar to those which 
grace our drawing-rooms, and even our dining-rooms, for 
here too may be seen all that is exquisite in the forms 
of our champagne glasses ? Verily, there is no new 
thing under the sun ! 



CHAPTER XXI. 



RETURN TO OUR BOAT — FLIES — MOSQUITOES — EL KARNAK — COFFEE 
FROM THE HAREM INVITATION TO DINE DILEMMA — KIAMEL's HESI- 
TATION — REASON — PREPARATIONS FOR A YISIT CAVALCADE— -MUD 

PALACE — THE INTERIOR — ITS INMATES — RECEPTION — AMIABLE HOS- 
TESS — HER SOLITUDE AND IMAGINATION — OUR SPECULATIONS AND 

SURPRISE — A DINNER A LA TURQUE MANNER OF BATHING THE 

HANDS — -BIRDS — OUR DEPARTURE — THE PORTER. 

On the evening of the 29th we crossed to Luxor in our 
boat, and we were happy enough in finding ourselves 
once more lodged in our little floating palace. We 
were annoyed, indeed, by the multitude of flies and mos- 
quitoes, by which our boat was inundated when we were 
at rest, but with the exception of these troublesome 
creatures, we had, until that time, been free from all 
the plagues of Egypt, about which most travellers have 
made such complaints. Indeed, it was not until after 
our return from Nubia into Egypt that the mosquitoes 
commenced their attacks, and we had begun to think 
the frightful accounts of molestation, so universally 
given, mere bugbear tales. We now began our inves- 
tigations of the ruins of El Karnak. Every work of 
man sinks into insignificance when compared with the 



172 



RUINS OP EL KARNAK. 



mighty propyla, the pyla, the obelisks, the avenues of 
granite-sphinxes, the gigantic statues, and the colon- 
nades of massive columns, which are here found in be- 
wildering confusion. The columns, partly upright and 
partly prostrate, with others that have been arrested in 
their fall by adjoining ones, may be not unaptly likened 
to a dismantled forest. The time for the erection of 
these works of grandeur extended through the reigns 
of several kings, among whose names we find prominent 
that of Remeses the Great. Wilkinson gives the mea- 
surement of the grand hall as " one hundred and sev- 
enty feet by three hundred and twenty-nine. This hall 
was supported by a central avenue of twelve columns, 
sixty-six feet high, without the pedestal and abacus, and 
twelve in diameter, besides one hundred and twenty- 
two of smaller, or rather less gigantic dimensions, forty- 
one feet nine inches in height, and twenty-seven feet six 
inches in circumference, distributed in seven lines on 
either side of the former." All of the largest columns 
are standing. The huge blocks that formed the roof lie 
scattered upon the ground, and ere long this noble ruin 
of former splendor will be entirely demolished. The 
natural decay caused by the lapse of time is what one 
expects, and however much to be regretted, never pro- 
duces the unreconciled feeling with which we must al- 
ways regard the wanton destruction of conquerors. 

We were here refreshed in the midst of our labori- 
ous task of sight- seeing by a delicious cup of coffee 
kindly sent us by the Harem of the Governor. Cups, 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



covered with a red napkin richly embroidered with 
gold, were brought on a waiter, followed by coffee in a 
silver urn suspended over a blaze by delicate chains of 
silver. Before taking coffee, we were offered sherbet, 
presented, as usual, in large lemonade glasses, with cov- 
ers. Not being thirsty, I merely sipped it, a fault which 
called forth a rebuke from my friend R., who was versed 
in the customs of the Arabs, and said that politeness re- 
quired one to drink freely. Later in the day, while the 
rest of our party were seated around a stone spread with 
hard boiled eggs, bread and tea, that had been sent to 
us from the boat, and while I was wondering whether 
the figures covering the walls of the gray old temple 
built by Thothmes III. were really portraits, we were 
informed that the Harem had honored us with an invi- 
tation to visit them that afternoon. Here was an ad- 
venture, and a dilemma too. No one who has never 
been smothered with the dust of these ruins, can form 
an idea of the plight we were in. Faces and collars, 
clean in the morning, are not recognizable at mid-day, 
and gloves, suitable for donkey-riding and clambering 
over stones, are not altogether comme il faut for visits 
of ceremony. You perceive that I speak only of out- 
ward a^ornings. Of dresses worn out in the service, 
with drawn-up rents, and elbows out, I say nothing. 
Should we go or not ? Go, by all means, was the gen- 
eral voice. Kiamil, one of our boatmen always in at- 
tendance, was made the bearer of a polite acceptance. 
We were surprised that he did not, as usual, promptly 



174 



VISIT TO A HAEEM AT THEBES. 



depart with the message given him. He lingered, evi- 
dently betraying a doubt that all was not quite right, 
and while we were puzzling ourselTes to interpret his 
conduct, he at length came to us and inquired "if 

Mr. had said that we should go." He had been 

present during our debate, and perceiving that Mr. — 

had not been consulted, he thought his Harem were 
taking a high hand. 

We had water for washing, and handkerchiefs were 
in requisition for wiping. Clean collars and fresh 
gloves were sent for, and we set off — such a cavalcade 
as one could not see elsewhere. The consul, with his 
usual politeness, was in waiting for us, attended by 

cavasses, dragomen, and inferior servants. Mrs. , 

in an extemporaneous palanquin, was mounted on the 
shoulders of four men. The rest of us on horses or 
donkeys, with donkey boys, guides, cavasses and other 
outriders, made a formidable array. At length we 
reached the palace. Fancy not that it is of marble, or 
in aught resembles that of Versailles, or even many 
smaller ones. " Palaces is different," was the comment 
of one of our servants, and this was a palace, although it 
was of mud, and had not extensive suites of apartments. 
The door was opened for us by a jet-black negro. We 
entered — not a hall lined with Titians — but why forever 
make comparisons ? I perceived, in passing through 
this rather dimly-lighted outer room, a large fire-place, 
which plainly showed that we were in that most im- 
portant part of all mansions, the kitchen. Turks and 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



175 



Arabs are lovers of nature, and in conformity with 
their usual desire that animals should be unmolested, this 
room seemed to be the home of hens and broods of 
chickens. "We mounted a flight of winding stairs of 
the same material as the outside walls. We entered a 
small hall out of which was an ante-chamber, from the 
door of which peeped many a face, Near it stood a 
figure, who saluted us gracefully as we passed, of whom 
I shall say more presently. Finally we were ushered 
into the great reception hall, and to do its mistress jus- 
tice, she had made the most she could of such a forlorn 
habitation. The floor was matted with straw, upon 
which were spread a few Persian rugs, and there was 
a divan, as usual covered with chintz, over which was 
thrown fresh white muslin. There was no other fur- 
niture, in the room with the exception of a small look- 
ing-glass, in a frame of party-colored china, which was 
hung high on the wall, inclining forward like those seen 
in our farm houses. There was no one to receive us. 
We took our seats upon the divan ; in a few moments 
a very young person entered, without any pretensions 
to beauty, or even good looks, much decorated with 
gold and silver. Her dress, of a thin, gaily-striped 
mousseUne-de-laineiWas made a la Frank, with a full 
skirt, so long as not to show much of the loose trowsers. 
Her head-dress alone was curious. Around a fez was 
wound a handkerchief of light-colored muslin, beneath 
which, fell on the neck and shoulders, tresses of plaited 
silk, thickly interwoven with pieces of gold of the size 



176 



TISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



and form of small coin, and small rings of gold. The 
only hair visible was cut square upon the forehead. 
Her feet were uncovered, and stained with henneh. 
As she approached she greeted each of us in what ap- 
pears to be the common mode of salutation among per- 
sons of rank, namely, by placing the open palm of her 
hand in that of another and slipping it off instead of 
grasping it, as is our custom. She was presently fol- 
lowed by another young person, whose naturally plain 
face was rendered quite pretty by the use of khole. 
This dark substance applied to the eyelid gives the 
appearance of long lashes. Her complexion, though 
not fair, was less dark than that of the other, her dress 
more Turkish, consisting of the Turkish robe of light 
chintz, with a shawl for a girdle, and the loose trowsers. 
The decorations of the head were not less curious than 
those of her predecessor. A white handkerchief, with 
a colored border, encircled the head. A kind of chain 
formed of rings of gold, and small, round, flat pieces of 
the same, of which four or five rows were connected at 
one end, was arranged in bandeau upon each side of the 
forehead and attached to the ear-rings. Her neck was 
covered with necklaces, and the effect of an intermix- 
ture of blue and gold and silver, was as pleasing as the 
dress was becoming. She saluted us, as the other had 
done, and seated herself on the divan. It was plain 
enough that neither of these was the principal of the 
Harem. We were not kept much longer in suspense. 
A person, who evinced her right of priority not so much 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 177 

by age as by manner, now presented herself. She went 
through the same form of salutation, but with more 
cordiality. By means of our interpreter, she com- 
menced the conversation by an expression of deep 
interest in the sick lady, whom she had seen carried by 
in the morning ; for whom, she said, they had, as she 
was passing, prayed that God would restore her to 
health. There was a frankness of manner which left no 
room to doubt the sincerity of these and other kind 
remarks. By this time several well-dressed black 
attendants had come into the room, and among them 
were two or three dirty, ragged children, as all the 
children of this country are. One of them, as untidy 
and uncomely an urchin as one could wish to see, came 
waddling up to the lady, and, as a matter of right, climbed 
into her lap. I expected to see her thrust him away 
with some appearance of disgust, when, instead of doing 
so, she gently placed him on the carpet at her feet, and 
when she had finished what she had to say to us she 
took him up and caressed him, and told us he was the 
child of one of their peasants who was at work in the 
field. Poor recluse! in her little solitary world she 
made the most of the few events that occur to sweeten 
life. Then she related to us a kind of dream — a vision 
she had had — which caused her great unhappiness. It 
is so characteristic of a mind which has had an oriental 
training, with its usual neglect of mental culture, that 
I will relate it. It should be borne in mind that this 
vision was to her something real and of great impor- 
8*- 



118 



VISIT TO A HAEEM AT THEBES. 



tance, in short, something that was to affect her future 
destiny, and in the fulness and simplicity of her heart 
she narrated it to us. 

Her story ran thus. One night, when she was asleep, 
a young girl embraced her and called her her dear 
sister, said many kind and affectionate things to her, 
and told her that she was the daughter of a consul at 
Alexandria, that she had no mother nor sister, nor any 
relation excepting her father ; that she awoke crying 
bitterly, when her slaves came to her saying, " Oh my 
mistress, oh my mistress ! " and sought to comfort her. 
Then she went to sleep, and saw the same thing again 
and again. She said she could neither eat, drink, nor 
sleep. Her mother had endeavored to cheer her by 
telling her it was a good omen. Yet her distress was 
not removed. She told all this with an air of such 
credulity and oppression of heart that we were touched 
by it, and seized upon an explanation which we thought 
would solace her. The young lady who acted as our 
interpreter was the daughter of a consul at A. "We 
begged her to tell the poor woman so, and now that 
she had seen her the vision need no longer trouble her. 
She looked doubtingly, for there was, she said, no 
resemblance between the two. The young person who 
had haunted her was short, dark, with dark hair and 
black eyes, while the other was tall, white as a lily, 
with auburn hair. Perhaps she will yet be able to 
identify them, and thus terminate an omen which, 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



179 



although so trivial, was yet sufficient to torture an 
imaginative daughter of this land of enchantment. 

She told us, with sadness, that she never expected 
to look at any thing again but old stones ; and really 
the old walls and ruins of Karnak form her horizon, 
which she beholds only through her latticed windows. 
She wondered much at our interest in this scene of 
desolation, and asked how old Karnak was. The nat- 
ural reply to this question, that it was three or four 
thousand years old, conveyed no sort of idea to her 
mind ; but, as all Mohammedans know something about 
Moses, we told her that it was built before his time, and 
thus easily gratified the little curiosity she had on this 
point. 

She formerly lived at Cairo, where her rank pro- 
cured, her the society of many cultivated European 
women, of whose acquaint ance she was evidently proud ; 
but the recollection of a higher condition of social hap- 
piness than she now enjoyed seemed to embitter her 
life. She is removed at present from even the diver- 
sions common to Turkish women ; for there is not a 
woman in the place who can be a companion for her, 
and, without any mental resources, hers is indeed a des- 
olate existence. 

She took a bunch of keys from her pocket, which 
she gave to the young girl by her side, who left the 
room, as we surmised, to order refreshments. Directly 
coffee and sherbet appeared, with the usual parapher- 
nalia. We speculated upon the relative position of the 



180 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



three ladies, whom we supposed to be the wives of the 

Pacha. Mrs. ■ was sure the eldest was the favorite 

wife, to which we were all obliged to agree ; for it was 
plainly her prerogative to command. If we were right 
in our conjectures, the power of goodness over youth 
and beauty was manifest. It was plain enough tnat 
the others owed obedience to this woman, with a good- 
natured, but by no means pretty face, disfigured by the 
loss of an eye. The pettish manner of the girl, as she 
snatched the keys handed her for the third time, was a 
convincing proof that there was a different relationship 
between them. It was the manner of a spoiled child, 
and she must be a younger sister. Our surprise was 
great when this youthful woman cleared up all doubts, 
by telling us that they were both her daughters, twins. 
The plainest of them was married. They were perfect 
children of nature ; one might call them savages. We 
were much amused by their artless, untutored behav- 
ior. They examined our dresses, felt of them, and the 
one by my side pointed significantly to my pocket and 
my hands. At length it occurred to me that she wished 
to look at my gloves, which she had seen me take off 
and put in my pocket ; so I drew them out. She seized 
them and made an unsuccessful attempt 1 to put one on 
her hand. I relieved her from her difficulty by draw- 
ing one on my own ; and, when I looked for the other, 
lo, it was across the room, on the hand of her more ex- 
pert sister. Then she took my ungloved hand and ex- 
amined it ; I thought she was going to tell my fortune. 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 181 

She jabbered in Arabic, and I in English ; we were 
mutually vexed not to be able to understand each other. 
At last, losing her patience entirely, she said to me pet- 
tishly, " Speak Arabic." Our interpreter explained 
that she had been asking why I did not stain my hands 
with henneh, as they did. 

She seemed so much pleased with the gloves, that I 
ventured to ask her mother if they would like some for 
themselves. As it is contrary to the Turkish custom 
to wear gloves, I was surprised at her reply that they 
would be delighted to have some ; but, as I really 
wished to send them something, I was glad to know 
that I could make them happy with a few pairs of gay 
yellow ones which I chanced to have with me. We 
made several attempts to take our leave ; but our 
obliging hostess insisted upon our dining with her. 
Curious, as we were, to see the customs of these people, 
we yielded, nothing loth, to her entreaties. 

A crumb-cloth was spread at one end of the room, 
a small table of dark wood, inlaid with pearl, about the 
size and height of one of our ottomans, was placed upon 
it, and upon that was deposited the large round waiter 
that serves for a table. Cushions were properly ar- 
ranged, and we were invited to partake. Great care 
was taken to make the invalid comfortable. Then we 
all seated ourselves, & la Turque. Our hostess would 
not sit until we were all disposed of, and the daughters 
stood through the dinner. There were no plates, but 
there were spoons, and, stranger than all, there were 



182 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



forks, which, it will be remembered, the Turks never 
use, to which she directed our attention with evident 
pride, and certainly she had shown a kind and delicate 
regard to our wants in procuring them ; and we 
never ceased to wonder where and how she had man- 
aged to obtain such an unoriental article of luxury. 

Bread of excellent quality was placed, with napkins, 
for each person. I forgot to mention that water was 
brought in a ewer, with a basin, previous to our going 
to the table, and it should be borne in mind that this 
cleanly custom is never omitted by the Mohammedans. 
As usual, the basin was borne by an attendant, an- 
other poured water upon the hands, while a third fol- 
lowed with a napkin of embroidered muslin. We 
made these necessary preparations for the table as one 
would who felt it to be rather a form than an essential 
purifying, while our hostess engaged in it as if con- 
scious of the nature of the duties she was about to 
perform. 

The first dish was kabobs, a favorite dish of the 
Turks, made of bits of mutton, one or two inches square, 
roasted separately on spits until quite dry and hard, 
and seasoned very highly with garlic. And now how 
should we manage in the absence of knives and plates ? 
The manners of our hostess were gentle, courteous, al- 
most polished, and we would not have consciously trans- 
gressed the rules of etiquette which prevailed at this 
board ; and so we did very much as all wise persons 
do who wish to avoid blunders under similar circum- 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



183 



stances — we waited for an example, and followed the one 
given by taking some of the kabobs with our fingers ; 
and it was really nice, as the garlic had been omitted, 
and fresh green peas had been substituted. A pair of 
plump, finely browned chickens were next served. The 
mystery was, how they were to be carved without a 
knife. This was soon solved by our sultana, who 
rather gracefully commenced a demolition with her fin- 
gers. When it was in a condition to be eaten, she took 
a leg, and, biting off a piece of it, handed the remainder 

to Mrs. , which was an act of extreme politeness. 

The rest of us were then urged to partake, which we 
did, of course. 

A dish of pilav, which is rice and chicken stewed 
together, a favorite dish with the Turks, was then 
brought in. When suited to their taste, like almost 
every thing, it is higly seasoned with garlic. But here, 
again, was a regard for our comfort ; the garlic was 
omitted. It was savory, and we ate of it with spoons. 
Our hostess, in the mean time, was busy, picking up 
with her fingers delicate tit-bits of chicken, which she 
added to the pilav. She ate nothing herself, but talked 
all the while she was thus occupied. A dish of garlic 
and gumbo followed, into which we dipped pieces of 
bread and choked them down. 

With a dish of sweets and clotted milk, (yaourt,) 
our repast was finished ; and, again bathing our hands, 
we arose from the table with grateful, contented hearts, 
and wiser than we sat down. 



184 



VISIT TO A HAREM AT THEBES. 



Birds, flying in and out of the windows at their pleas- m 
ure, more free than the wealthy mistress of the mansion, 
lent a charm to this novel scene, and we were much 
amused by one restless little fellow, who hovered about 
the looking-glass, pecking at his image, as he saw him- 
self reflected in it. Wle were assured that he had been 
fluttering about the glass in this way for five or six 
days, and as nearly every thing is viewed as an omen 
by these simple creatures, this was so construed, and 
conspired with the dream to increase the depression 
of spirits which bore heavily upon our interesting 
friend. 

Many a hearty regret was expressed by her that we 
had not made her house our home while at Luxor, and 
some of our party regretted it also. 

At length, we must go. It had been a point with 
our kind hostess that we should remain until sundown. 
That time had come, and there was now no excuse 
for detaining us longer. She followed us down stairs, 
with many expressions of good will and hearty bless- 
ings. 

We were at the gate, the hand of the black porter 
rested upon the latch, and we were wondering why he 
did not open it, when the " imsheh, imsheh," (go away ! 
go away !) which he uttered to his mistress, reminded 
us that we were quitting a prison, and our hearts sick- 
ened at the thought of leaving this woman, who had so 
graciously and agreeably entertained us, a prisoner 
within her own walls. 



HAREM AT THEBES. 



185 



We were repeatedly invited to dine there after- 
wards, but our occupation of sight-seeing allowed us no 
time for it. Besides the temples, we had an entertain- 
ment of another sort before us. 



CHAPTER XXIX 



AN EXHIBITION OF THROWING THE DJERRID — FINE HORSES AND RID- 
ERS — THEIR DEXTERITY ALEXANDER — ACHMED DRESS OF THE 

ARAB HORSEMEN — ANOTHER STORY OF A MUD PALACE — EXTRAOR- 
DINARY PAPER. 

The consul, who was determined to please us every- 
way in his power, finding that we had taken a fancy to 
the prancing and careering of the noble Arab steeds 
and their wild riders, had planned for our amusement 
an exhibition of throwing the djerrid,* so when we had 
done up El Karnak, we found waiting for us an escort 
of eight or ten wild Arabs, with their horses. The lat- 
ter, finely caparisoned, with saddle-cloths richly em- 
broidered in silver and gold, the head and neck covered 
with tassels, surpassed in splendor their more picturesque 
riders, who sat so gracefully and firmly that we were 
tormented with no fear of their being thrown, in the 
midst of the bold and astonishing feats of horsemanship 
that followed. 

We were conducted by them to a large plain, where 

* A lance, so called. 



A TOUENAMEOT. 



187 



we halted in the shade, and the spectacle commenced. 
Away darted a horse and rider, with the speed of the 
wind, pursued by another, djerrid in hand, who was in 
his turn followed by another, and another, bournouses 
flying, at the greatest speed exchanging djerrids, and 
at the end of the course turning off in opposite direc- 
tions, or bringing up so short it was incredible how 
they remained in the saddle. They consider this a great 
feat, and were fond of doing it, because they saw that 
it astonished us. 

Our Armenian servant, whom we had been in the 
habit of regarding as an excellent horseman, thought he 
could do as well ; so he entered the lists. Divested of 
his fez, his long, black hair flying, he looked even more 
savage than the Arabs, but he was less graceful, and 
had not their centaur-like appearance. However, his 
performance was creditable, and we had no reason to 
blush for our competitor. 

Another of our party was manifestly impatient to 
distinguish himself. This was our dragoman Achmed, 
who, it will be remembered, is an Arab. He had been 
restrained by a severe wound, which he had received 
in the hand the night previous in endeavoring to pro- 
tect his men from the assault of some lawless Arnauts. 
He knew full well the certainty of increasing the in- 
flammation of the wound, and the risk there might be of 
losing his hand, but the temptation was too great ; he 
chose his comrade, and with his arm in a sling, they 
shot off like lightning, each on the way snatching from 



188 



LUXOB. 



the head the cap of the other, which he placed upon his 
own. 

The riders generally wore the gray bournouse, com- 
mon to the lower classes of the Arabs of this place. 
Only two were distinguished by more gay and fanci- 
ful costumes. One of them was a brother of the consul. 
Although suffering from rheumatism, he joined in the 
diversion, and was surpassed by no one. 

We returned to our boat, highly gratified by this 
novel and exciting display of equestrianism, where we 

were joined by Mr. and Mrs. , who, during our 

four days at Luxor, had enjoyed the luxury of a resi- 
dence in a palace. I must relate one more story for the 
benefit of any who, in the midst of city comforts, may 
take a fancy to pass a few months in Thebes, and who, 
owing to the scarcity of books of travel relating par- 
ticularly to this part of the world, may be deluded with 
the expectation of a comfortable establishment in a 
snug, well-furnished hotel. It occurred to me that it 
might be well to supply some information on this point, 
since, at Cairo, we actually met with a party who, dis- 
satisfied with a tolerably comfortable hotel there, were 
making inquiries for the best accommodations at Thebes, 
hoping to be able to secure at the latter place the lux- 
uries necessary to a fastidious taste. 

We were told, while at Assuan, that there was to 
be a palace swept and garnished for our use, during our 
stay at Luxor. 

I have already described the one belonging to the 



LI7X0K. 



189 



Greek on the other side, yet possibly no one can realize 
its discomforts, and therefore cannot appreciate our glad- 
ness when again restored to our clean Dahabia. "We 
had been for eight days choked with the dust and an- 
noyed by the insects common to the houses of this coun- 
try, and the little white lizards that came tumbling down 
on us from the ceiling of fresh reeds are not to be for- 
gotten. 

Imagine, on our entrance into our little paradise, the 
appalling effect of such a question from Achmed as, 
" What is to be done about going to the palace on the 
other side ? " We replied, after a pause and a sigh, " We 
suppose that some of us must go ! " and two of the party 
generously offered to make the sacrifice. 

We had crossed the river at evening ; early in the 
afternoon of the next day, these two, taking with them 
some books, went up to their new abode. It was not 
more than a quarter of a mile off, but it was necessary 
to wade through a field of sand to reach it; it was 
agreed that their meals should be sent them from the 
boat. Thus did they voluntarily submit to cold coffee, 
cold tea, cold meats, and cold every thing. After din- 
ner we thought we would go and take tea with them, 
carrying with us the necessary additional cups. We 
ordered our donkeys, and went off in great glee, feel- 
ing quite certain that the visit of surprise would be an 
agreeable one. 

Ascending the stairs that lead to the temple-pal- 
ace, for such in reality is the high-sounding name by 



190 



LUXOE. 



which it goes — one looks down upon the fine columns of 
the old temple, ingloriously appropriated to the stabling 
of donkeys. It must be understood that the new 
edifice is of mud, erected upon the ruins of the old one. 
We entered a long, narrow, dark passage, at the head 
of the stairs, through which we groped our way. The 
odor of the place was any thing but agreeable. Mak- 
ing a turn, we stumbled into a room not much better 
lighted. I had intended to approach my friends with 
great ceremony, and was a little vexed to find that I 
had thus awkwardly entered the presence chamber, of 
which I was assured by the sound of voices that greeted 
my ears from the farther end of the room, for as yet I 
could see nothing. 

The state with which I had intended to make my 
entree was exchanged for a burst of laughter, that in 
its turn gave place to a more becoming fit of sobriety 
when I beheld the deplorable discomforts to which 
these models of patience were subjected. The wind 
had blown in upon them such clouds of sand as had 
compelled them to close the wooden shutters (glass is 
not known in this country), and here they had been 
obliged to sit the whole day, without light or air, un- 
able to read or write. 

The night was even more to be dreaded than the 
day. What, though the house had been cleaned for 
thirteen successive days, as we had been repeatedly 
assured? The most accomplished house-cleaner could 
not have removed such spots from walls and floors of 



LUXOK. 



191 



inud. Whitewashing might have improved it — nothing 
else could. For my own part, I confess, I was dismayed 
at the prospect of such a night as they had before 
them. Small, but numerous foes were to be contended 
with. Yet with all this in view, these true philosophers 
were resigned and even merry. 

The next day, while we were making them a visit, 
a tall Egyptian pushed his way rather unceremoniously 
into the room, with a paper in his hand. What is 

that ? inquired Mr. of Soter, a little despairingly, 

for it was a suspicious-looking paper. But it must be 
read, and accordingly it was, much to our amusement. 
It was a pompous document, in French, to the purport 
that this temple-palace had been erected by French- 
men of rank and quality, during their residence at 
Luxor, while superintending the removal of the obelisk, 
that it had never been desecrated by plebeians, and 
that this man, to whose care it had been confided, was 
charged to admit no European within its walls who 
did not bear upon his escutcheon the insignia of rank 
and nobility, and no flag but the French should be per- 
mitted to wave over it. 

I scarcely need say that we were all deeply sensible 
of the high honor that had been conferred upon us, the 
expression of which, in an ample backsheesh to the 
warder, was, by no means, to be omitted. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



DEPARTURE FROM THEBES — A SORRY PARTY — DENDERAH — DONKEY 

RIDE TEMPLE CLEOPATRA DUNGEONS AND BATS — ABSENCE OF 

FEAR — THE EGYPTIAN FACE — OLD SEROUR COMIC TALENTS OF 

SOME OF OUR CREW — ABYDOS — OSIOOT — AN EXCURSION TO THE 
MOUNTAINS — TOMBS AND MUMMIES UNFORTUNATE RAIS. 

"The eye is never satisfied with seeing," and on the 
3d of April we left Thebes, full of regret. We had 
been there eleven days, which is more time than trav- 
ellers generally give to it. But what are eleven days 
for the study of a history comprising not only hundreds, 
but thousands of years ? In truth, no traveller ought 
to think of spending less than a month at Thebes, and 
then, of course, he must expect to part from it with 
longings such as we had, and, perhaps, console himself 
with a dim hope of returning at some future time to 
complete his unfinished task. 

"We left it, in all respects, a crippled party. Mr. 

had sprained his foot. Mrs. , I think I have before 

mentioned, was an invalid, incapable of walking, and 
carried in the arms of her husband, excepting long 



TEMPLES OF DENDERAH. 



193 



distances, when she was borne by the men of our boat 
in a sort of extemporaneous litter, formed like a hen- 
coop. Another of the ladies, in consequence of a 
sprained ankle that prevented her walking for many 
months, was also dependent upon the services of these 
kind Arabs in all excursions from the boat. Achmed's 
hand was in a terrible condition ; one of the men was 
ill ; and Soter had the toothache. 

For a wonder the wind was favorable, or rather 
there was no wind, and we floated down to the large 
town of Kenneh before we had thought of it. On the 
opposite side, about three miles from the shore, is 
Denderah, with its comparatively modern temples, of 
the time of the Caesars. We crossed over, mounted 
brisk donkeys, and had a fine gallop through groves of 
doum-palms, laden with fruit, fields of wheat and 
stubble, and tracts of uncultivated fertile land where 
herds of buffaloes were grazing. 

The temple of Denderah, famous for containing rep- 
resentations of the Zodiac, is not of the earliest Egyp- 
tian architecture, but belongs to the time of the Csesars. 
Its columns are ungraceful, and the sculpture, in the 
main part of the building, is coarse and much defaced. 
It is consecrated to Athor, the Egyptian Aphrodite. 
Cleopatra and her son are several times rather rudely 
sculptured upon the outer wall. One is curious to 
know whether these portraits bear any resemblance 
to this celebrated woman. In point of beauty, they 

do not compare with the round, plump face of the 
9 



194 



TEMPLES OF DENDEEAH. 



goddess, who is more than a hundred times repre- 
sented. 

This, like all the temples we have seen, is divided 
into various apartments, and, while exploring them, I 
became separated from the rest of our party. Follow- 
ing the Arab guide, and attended by one of our boat- 
men, we came to an aperture in the wall. The guide, 
pointing to it, said, " Quiese^ (pretty.) It was enough. 
In my eager curiosity to see what was there, I motioned 
to him to go in, and crawled in after him. Here we 
entered a passage, not more than three or four feet 
wide, and perhaps twelve feet high, perfectly dark, run- 
ning the whole length of the building. I was too much 
engrossed by the extreme beauty of the sculptures cov- 
ering the walls on either side, which I could see dis- 
tinctly by the light of the torch, to think of my iso- 
lated condition, and continued groping my way, until 
we unexpectedly came to a flight of stairs that led be- 
low. The guide was going on, but my courage was 
not equal to that. Dungeons and bones arose before 
me — the air became suffocating — I made signs that I 
wished to return to get breath, and I scarcely need say 
that I returned at a pretty rapid pace. 

Securing the protection of Miss B. (who does not 
know that companionship is protection ?) I reentered, 
and we feasted amidst the curious representations of 
gods and goddesses, (the chief of whom was the pretty 
Athor,) and of kings who were making offerings to 
them, The stairs which, together, we did not hesitate 



TEMPLES OF DENDERAH. 



195 



to descend, led to a passage directly under the one 
through which we had passed, and precisely like it. 
"We continued gazing and admiring, when, at the end 
of it, we came to a small apartment, black as night. 
We were on the point of entering, when a certain 
noise, not entirely new to our ears, betrayed to us the 
fearful truth that we were about invading the posses- 
sions of that mysterious lover of darkness, the bat. 

When I first entered this dark and forbidding pas- 
sage alone with these wild Arabs, I had no fear, for 
they inspire none. The dread of undefinable hobgob- 
lins and spectres had driven me back once. Here was 
another foe, and, I frankly avow, I had no disposition 
to beard him in his den. But look at the superior 
courage of my friend. With a light in one hand, she 
boldly entered these well-defended precincts. The boy 
who pulls down a hornet's nest may have some idea of 
the scene that ensued. Millions of bats came forth from 
their hiding-places, making a noise like thunder. Noth- 
ing daunted, Miss B. would have prosecuted her design 
of exploring this room, if I had not begged her to de- 
sist. And thus was sacrificed our curiosity and the op- 
portunity of examining the sanctum to which this pas- 
sage was the opening. 

We often talked over the strange scenes we had 
passed through, and wondered at the confidence we 
placed in these strange, wild people. The truth is, 
while there was nothing to excite disgust or dread, 
there was much in the simplicity of their life and man- 



196 



OUR PILOT. 



ners to win our regard. They were in the highest de- 
gree respectful, uniformly kind and obliging to us, and 
the absence of intemperance and brawls gave me a feel- 
ing of perfect security in their presence. As for com- 
plexion, I confess that a black face looked as well to me 
as a white one, although I could not become reconciled 
to a broad, flat nose, thick lips, and white eyes. Only 
one of our men was characterized by such features, and, 
although he might be as good and as intelligent as the 
others, I could not help regarding him as inferior to 
them. 

The Egyptian face, especially in Nubia, where the 
inhabitants are, perhaps, more truly the descendants of 
the ancient Egyptians than lower down, is often very 
agreeable, marked by an expression of dignity and 
thoughtfulness. We had for our pilot, from Assuan to 
the Second Cataract, an old man, a Nubian, who was 
stamped by nature for a nobleman. His face indicated 
the calm, serene spirit that reigned within, and his gen- 
tle, courteous, and dignified manners inspired respect. 

I shall never forget the perseverance with which this 
old man, in our tramps, carried the umbrella, at arm's 
length, over Mrs. *s head, in spite of her remon- 
strances ; nor the thoughtful delicacy, worthy of a re- 
fined gentleman, or, better, of a true Christian, with 
which he sought to shelter her from the burning sun, 
when we were taking rest. 

Good old Serour ! while thou hast thus effectually 
won our gratitude and respect, thou hast taught us that 



NUBIAN CHARACTER. 



197 



refinement may exist in the midst of ignorance and un- 
der the garb of poverty. Noble, high-minded Serour ! 
never shall I forget the good nature and tact with 
which, in the midst of thy wounded pride, thou didst 
draw to thee thy little boy, and hush his demands for 
backsheesh ! Nor shall I forget the impression made 
upon thy heart by two or three friendly pats from us on 
the naked shoulder of this little urchin of thine. 

At Thebes we had for our guide another old man, 
of the same lofty character. As a race, they appear to 
me to be impulsive, highly appreciative of kindness, and 
grateful for it. There is an alacrity to serve and oblige 
that one is not always sure of finding elsewhere, and 
those we employed lost no opportunity to contribute to 
our entertainment. They were always ready to get up 
a concert with the derabooka, and there was one among 
them whose talent for comedy was so great, that if he 
had been in a civilized country it might have made his 
fortune. He was, by turns, an improvisator, furnishing 
the crew with comic songs, an actor, playing well what- 
ever part he chose, an orator, making grandiloquent 
speeches to our servants, when they sometimes gave him 
backsheesh, and occasionally he gave us a touch of the 
molah in his desk. It is little to say that Abdullah pos- 
sessed powers of attraction sufficient to win the applause 
of his easily satisfied audience. 

We were too lame a party to go to Abydos, which 
lies between seven and eight miles from the river, and 
among the many catacombs passed between that place 



198 



EIDE TO OSIOOT. 



and Osioot, there is nothing of sufficient attraction to 
detain a traveller who has revelled at Thebes, and has 
Beni Hassan and the Pyramids in prospect. We ar- 
rived at Osioot the 12 th of April. 

Nothing is more common than the longing to make 
one's friends the participators of pleasures enjoyed in a 
pilgrim-land. Home and its dear loved ones are always 
blended with the picture, and when the engrossing in- 
terest is past, then comes the puzzling question, " How 
can I best give them an idea of what I have seen? " 
And, who has not .desperately thrown away the pen in 
an attempt to do so ? Who has not wished that some 
new method might be devised, so that one could take 
one's friends along in a sort of spiritual-mundane expe- 
dition ? Amidst all the uses to which Mesmerism has 
been applied, why has this never been thought of? 
Suppose we try it ; — fancy the passes made ; — we are 
going to the mountain that lies back of the town for the 
purpose of seeing catacombs which contain the mum- 
mies of wolves and other animals. Let us take a sur- 
vey of the party under way. There is Mrs. swing- 
ing in her turkey-cage, between two donkeys. She is 
much more comfortable than when carried, as she often 
is, on the shoulders of men, who do not keep step or 
time. Miss B., in her becoming blue dress, has mounted 
a black donkey. We will not fear her falling, although 
she allows the bridle to lie unheeded upon the donkey's 
neck, her hands hanging carelessly upon either side. Miss 
Mc. trots off with the same unconcern. Mr. 



RIDE TO OSIOOT. 199 

is well mounted. Mr. will do well enough ; and 

his donkey, though small, is warranted brisk. Alexan- 
der, who, you remember, entered the lists with the racers, 
looks mock-heroic, the fierceness of his visage con- 
trasting with the demureness of the donkey. Achmed 
is not here ; he has gone to the town to buy chickens. 
There is the water-carrier — we must not forget him; 
he is too necessary to our comfort to be overlooked. 
And now for ourself. "We confess ourself timid, and 
will look well to the saddle. For a wonder it is firm. 
The donkey-boy, though a fright, understands his busi- 
ness. A leap, and we are in the saddle. The river's 
steep bank ascended, we are on a plain. We gallop on 
a narrow path, through a field of -stubble. There lies 
before us a fine large mansion. We will look at it in 
passing. It is very oriental, built of brick, cemented 
with mud, and has a flat roof. The windows are pret- 
tily latticed. We look in vain for the inmates. The 
Governor is probably off at the town. The women, de- 
pend upon it, are peeping at us through the lattices. A 
few camels are kneeling round the door, patiently 
awaiting the removal of their burdens. We will turn 
round the corner of the house. Here we come upon a 
winding road, built upon an embankment several feet 
high. What unusual care and pains have been bestowed 
upon it ! How delightful are these palms, acacias, mi- 
mosas, and scarlet flowering pomegranates that form its 
border ! 

Let us stop in this delicious shade and look at the 



200 KIBE TO OSIOOT. 

prospect around us. Before us lies the town. Its 
houses of gray crude brick and mud, and its stately- 
minarets, are more characteristic of the East than the 
landscape surrounding it. The fields, upon either side 
of the avenue, are slightly undulating, and covered with 
golden grain. The harvest is ready for the sickle ; it 
has, in many places, been reaped. The bundles are gath- 
ered into heaps, and the thresher is in the midst of them. 
A round flat wheel, upon which sits the thresher, is 
turned by means of oxen. The chaff is separated from 
the wheat and cut into atoms. Let us admire the beauty 
of the clumps of mimosas and acacias scattered over the 
fields, among the yellow, long-bearded wheat that waves 
so gracefully as it yields to the balmy breezes of the 
morning. As we proceed, do not fail to mark well the 
mountain that bounds our view on the left. It is a part 
of the Libyan chain, and formed of limestone. It is 
full of square holes, which are the entrances to the cata- 
combs. It is to them we are going. We will pass 
through that stone gateway before us, and see what lies 
beyond. We come to a large open square. On every 
side of it are seated lazy Turks, regaling themselves 
with the indispensable nargile. It is a long time since 
we have looked upon any beings but Arabs, and the 
sight of these familiar Turkish faces gladdens our hearts. 
A stranger would return their gaze with only an equal 
degree of curiosity, but they are so intimately associ- 
ated with one of our pleasant homes, that we must be 



RIDE TO OSIOOT. 



201 



pardoned if we regard them with an expression of 
friendly good will. 

Shall we see the handsome Pacha here ? This is 
his place of residence, and the clean streets add another 
feather to his cap. We look in vain for him, so let us 
leave these indolent Turks to their repose, and proceed 
into the narrower streets, among the half-veiled, dirty 
Egyptian women, who, with their children upon their 
shoulders, are strolling about the streets, or peeping at 
us from the doors of the mud cabins. Poor, ignorant 
mothers ! we would like to impart to you a little of our 
superior knowledge, which would enable you to con- 
vert these pale, squalid little ones, into ruddy, robust 
children. We sigh as we think of the herculean labor 
we should encounter in attempting to overcome and 
root out long established customs and prejudices, and 
are roused from our reverie, by the cry of "Imsheh, 
imsheh, osbour, osbour," uttered by our little Musta- 
pha, the water-carrier, who chances to be in advance. 
Boy, though he is, his cry of " get oiffc of the way and 
wait," is obeyed. 

The progress of the camels is arrested on the other 
side of the gate through which we are to pass. They 
are turned out of the way by the Arab drivers, who 
throw against them their stout bodies. We pass 
through and continue our way on this delightful avenue, 
until we come to a fine, narrow, stone bridge. We 
cross it and are at the foot of the mountain. There is 
no difficulty in riding to the first catacombs, half way 
9* 



202 



EIDE TO 0SI00T. 



up. We are high enough here for a fine view, and let 
us look about us a little. And now we are breathless 
with admiration. What a world of beauty is spread 
out before us ! Unfortunately it is a little hazy, and 
we do not see distinctly the outlines of the chain of 
mountains that skirt the horizon. As far as the eye 
can reach, in every direction, is a rich fertile plain, 
through which glides the river, glittering in sunlight. 
There it branches off, encircling a large island. Groves 
of green trees in whitened enclosures, scattered about 
the town, diversify the prospect. The little bridge 
we passed is a pretty object, too, and the threshing 
scene gives animation to the picture. 

But where is the desert, that distinguishing feature 
of African scenery ? We will ascend a little higher, 
and go round that point, perhaps we shall see it from 
there. This is a steep and rugged ascent. But the 
most timid woman need not fear. Hamed has a brawny 
arm with which he can aid along both the rider and 
the donkey. And what is that we now see ? A small 
white village ? Such things are nowhere seen in 
Egypt. Yet what are those white peaked walls, and 
those little white domes ? It needs not the expressive 
gestures of Mustapha to tell us that it is a cemetery. 

But are these poor Arabs rich enough to afford 
such a burial-place ? What does it mean ? Our guide 
tells us it is the cemetery of the Memlooks. There is 
no time to indulge in the long train of reflections that 
the sight of it might awaken. And now, we begin to 



RIDE TO OSIOOT. 



203 



see the sand. We mount a little higher, and there is 
the desert — vast and sublime. We see the waving line 
that divides it from the region of fertility, so gracefully 
curving, and yet so clearly defined — a world of awful 
desolation and a world of life, side by side. The in- 
habitants have felt the influence of it, and have chosen 
this spot on the margin of the desert for their cemetery. 
The abode of the dead and the abode of the living are 
not more strikingly contrasted than the desert and the 
life-sustaining fields that adjoin it. 

We shall never see another scene like this, and we 
find it hard to tear ourselves from the spot. But 
neither time nor our friends will wait for us, and we 
must return to the town. 

Let us take another survey of our party. What a 
grotesque spectacle it would present at home. How 
every body would stare. They would stare at the 
multitude, for we are a goodly number — donkey boys, 
guides, sailors, all told, amounting to thirty. They 
would stare at the donkeys, at the turkey-cage, and, 
above all, at the Arab attendants. We make a great 
sensation on our way through the little town. The 
streets are full, and we are gratified to contribute thus 
to their limited sources of enjoyment. We pass 
through the bazaars, Kiamil and Abdullah running 
before us, carbouche in hand, to clear the way. We 
must go slowly, and the crowds of gazers have a nice 
opportunity to see us, and we them. There is a comic 
expression on the faces of some that seems to say, 



204 



EIDE TO OSIOOT. 



"they are queer people, and those unveiled women, 
what want of delicacy ! " Some among them salute us, 
and we graciously return their politeness. Here we 
suddenly make a halt in front of a bazaar. "We will 
dismount with the others and see what is going on* 
While others are buying pipes and gewgaws of pottery, 
we will seat ourselves on the matting before the bazaar. 
These Arabs seem a little surprised at the coolness with 
which we do it. They are kind-looking and civil, 
though, and we feel at our ease. What a taciturn and 
demure people ! What strange thoughts they have — 
and what strange lives they lead ! 

But what is this uproar. Who is he that is scream- 
ing at such a rate in the midst of our little group? 
He wears a dervish's cap, and pretends to be a mad- 
man. If so, his person is sacred, and he claims the 
privilege of going unmolested ; that is the reason why 
he presumes to vociferate so loudly for backsheesh. 
Achmed orders our men to take him away. His claims 
to protection seem to be disregarded, for they thrust 
him unceremoniously into the street. He continues his 
persecuting cries, and dogs our steps, as we move on 
through the narrow lanes. Happily we come upon the 
wide avenue ; by quickening our pace we escape from 
him — and now for a short and merry ride home. We 
must not forget to make the counterpasses, and release 
our kind friends from their long subjection. 

It may be remembered that we went up the moun- 
tain with the intention of looking at the catacombs, 



TOMBS OF WOLVES. 



205 



and as that was our specified object — the only item in 
our bill — perhaps we owe an apology to those who 
have been kind enough to accompany us in this nar- 
rative. The truth, then, is, we found the scenery so 
fascinating, that tombs and grottoes became to us ob- 
jects of indifference. Many of the tombs are of great 
antiquity, but not remarkably attractive. There is a 
large number of pits in which mummified wolves and 
jackals have been deposited, and fragments of them lie 
scattered about. 

The town of Osioot is upon the site of ancient Ly- 
copolis, or the city of wolves, so called, because that 
animal was sacred to its inhabitants. I must mention 
a little incident that occurred near this place, of which 
our Rais is the hero. It will give some notion of the 
domestic condition of that class of men. 

This worthy person has the happiness to be the 
head of a family, in other words, he has a wife and 
daughter. They inhabit one of the little mud villages 
upon the river, and as a captain of a Nile boat, he 
naturally passes near them many times during the year. 
It appears, however, that a twelvemonth had elapsed 
since he had visited this home of his family. In an 
evil hour he was moved to do so. He got himself ex- 
cused from the boat, and as we floated along slowly, it 
was an easy matter for him to go ashore, make them 
the proposed visit, and return to us. 

The partner of his life and his daughter made the 
most of this probably unexpected visit. They seized 



206 



THE KAIS AND HIS FAMILY. 



him, dragged him before a Cadi and Mufti, and de- 
manded four piastres (twenty cents) a month, to be 
paid by him during his absence. These righteous 
judges gave a verdict in favor of the rights of women, 
and left the captain to return to us. He immediately 
poured the workings of a wounded spirit into th$ sym- 
pathizing heart of Achmed, who, probably, thinks with 
us that it will be a long time before he will be caught 
in that way again. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



PREPARATIONS FOR A THUNDER-SHOWER — RAIN — WIND CHANGES 

SAIL SET GET AGROUND — TRYING NIGHT FOR THE SAILORS — TEM- 
PEST OP SAND ILLUSIVE APPEARANCES ON SHORE — DISCOURAGE- 
MENT — A COUNCIL AGREEABLE DECISION — RIDE TO DAYR e' NAKHL 

SOLICITATIONS OP THE CREW FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT — TOMBS 

INTERESTING — REPRESENTATION OF THE REMOYAL OF A COLOSSAL 
STATUE — FINE YIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN — ANTINOE — COPT VIL- 
LAGE — VISIT TO A CONVENT. 

On the afternoon of the 13th 5 our clear and cloudless 
sky became overcast. The day had been sultry. The 
atmosphere was unelastic. As the evening approached 
we went out to refresh ourselves. There lay in the 
west a portentous cloud, the appearance of which, to- 
gether with my own lassitude, led me to exclaim, " If 
we were in America, I should be quite sure that we 
were going to have a thunder-shower." Mrs. re- 
plies, " You know it never rains in Egypt." A nice 
little shower while we were on the steamer to Assuan 
had proved the fallibility of our geographies, and we 
agreed to recommend, for future editions, the substitu- 
tion of it seldom rains for " it never rains." Yet the 
bright, unclouded skies of so many weeks had resettled 



208 



THUNDER-SHOWER. 



us in our early faith, and as nothing could be more dis- 
astrous for us, in our present circumstances, than a rain, 
we did not wish to believe in its coming. We had dis- 
covered that our ark was not pitched within and with- 
out, as at various times gentle showers had fallen upon 
us, caused by the upsetting of dishes of water placed 
upon the roof for the fowls lodged there. 

A half-hour passed by. " It lightens ! " cried two or 
three of us, who were watching the cloud. " It is only 
heat-lightning," was the comforting response from an- 
other. The flashes became more and more frequent, 
more and more brilliant, and from various parts of the 
heavens. We were . enjoying the beauty of the light- 
ning when, " Hark ! is that thunder ? " was the thrill- 
ing inquiry. The peals became louder — it was undeni- 
ably portentous. " What shall we do, if it rain ? " 
now became the exciting question, and, indeed, it was 
quite time to think seriously about it. To stow books 
and cushions under the divans, and take umbrellas for 
our own protection, was the result of our deliberations. 

This was a comfortable prospect for a night, espe- 
cially for the lame ; and Redawan, ill of a fever in the 
hold, what was to become of him ? In the midst of our 
tribulation, Achmed comes in and assures us, in the first 
place, that it won't rain, and if it should, the Rais says 
he has a canvas-covering for the top. We take cour- 
age from the first assertion, but the latter we do not 
believe. At any rate there are sails, which, being 
spread over, will protect us. There is another cheering 



THU!N"DER-S H O WEE MIRAGE. 



209 



assurance — " the wind will change." If we had been dis- 
heartened, as we certainly were not, this would have 
put us in spirits. A favorable wind was what we de- 
voutly wished for. 

At length the rain begins to patter. A soft, deli- 
cious breeze springs up from the south, and Sherif sets 
the sail — we move swiftly on — Achmed, — the sailors, — 
all — are in great glee. The Rais only is timid. He 
fears the rocks. Achmed laughs at his fears, and as- 
sumes the responsibility. On, on we go — for the wind 
blows fresh — when lo ! the bottom scrapes and we are 
aground. At this moment the rain comes in big drops 
— The men leave every thing to spread the sails over 
our cabin, and having made us comfortable, they go to 
their almost hopeless task of getting off the boat. 
Poor fellows ! after working nearly all night in the 
cold water, the wind blowing violently, they gave it up 
in despair ; but by resting an hour or two, until the 
return of daylight, they were successful in their efforts. 

We set sail, and with a strong wind went on at a 
great rate for about two hours. Clouds of sand rose 
from the shore, on either side of us, filling the atmos- 
phere, and producing a singularly illusive effect. Men 
and women appeared like giants, as high as tall trees, 
stalking slowly along. Animals were magnified into a 
grotesque size. One might have thought that the 
Ravels, with their transforming india-rubber apparatus, 
were playing their pranks there. At length, the sand, 
for a while resembling a light mist, became so dense 



210 



A COUNCIL. 



that the shore was no longer visible, and a perfect tem- 
pest of sand and wind compelled us to anchor. 

With the next change in the weather, the wind was 
found to be north, and thus terminated our brief hopes 
of making more rapid progress. As our expedition upon 
the river drew to a close, we were more than ever de- 
sirous of getting back to Cairo before the season should 
be so far advanced as to render our travelling in the 
desert impracticable. We were progressing so slowly, 
that we had decided not to stop at any places excepting 
such as should present very peculiar attractions. 

As we were approaching the spot where we must 
leave our boat in order to visit Dayr E' Nakhl, which 
Wilkinson mentions as a place containing some of the 
most interesting monuments in Egypt, the impor- 
tant question arose, whether we should sacrifice so 
much of interest, lying directly on our way, to the 
probability of accomplishing our future project? The 
word delay had become to us one of great import, and 
our little council was called upon for deliberate re- 
flection. Our stern enemy, the adverse north wind, had 
relaxed its opposition, and for the first time for many 
hours we were able to glide on with the current. The 
men had become exhausted from their efforts during 
the preceding rainy night, and we wished to give them 
the advantage of this rare combination of wind and 
tide. In this state of things, no one liked to take the 
responsibility. Our assembly, like many larger ones, 
unable to come to any conclusion, was dissolved, and 



RIDE TO DAYR e' NAKHL. 



211 



we betook ourselves to the study of our guide-books. 
The attractions were irresistible, and there was a gen- 
eral burst of approbation when the order was given 
to stop at Dayr E' Nakhl, which is on the Arabian 
side. 

The interesting tombs here are about two miles dis- 
tant from the river, and our way to them lay through 
the desert. More or less of our boatmen accompanied 
us, as usual, on this excursion. Those who were not 

employed in carrying Mrs. in her litter were 

always by the side of the other ladies, and their fidelity 
to us gave us a feeling of security. When we com- 
pared the conduct of these men with the accounts gen- 
erally given by travellers of the class to whose tender 
mercies they had been subjected, we could not be 
thankful enough that our experience had been so widely 
different. Since it is certain that a uniformly kind man- 
ner and a few kind words are duly appreciated, why is 
it not seen to be for the interest as well as happiness of 
those having authority to exercise it in a tolerably gen- 
tle manner ? 

The river was so low that there was no chance for 
another trip before the next rise, which would not be 
till June, therefore there was no prospect of employ- 
ment for these half-paid men, and as our time for sepa- 
ration drew near, they were naturally casting about for 
some means of continuing their existence ; so they 
made use of this opportunity of running by our side, 
and with the aid of a brief vocabulary and more signs, 



212 



TOMBS OF DAYR e' NAKHL. 



they made us perfectly comprehend their earnest desire 
to accompany us to our own homes. 

But what could you do for us ? we would say. You 
don't know our manners and customs. You could not 
serve us as we are used to being served. Eager to 
show us with what aptness they could suit themselves 
to a new vocation, they commenced with significant ges- 
tures, very descriptive of the duties each thought him- 
self best qualified to fulfil, a routine of the various ac- 
complishments requisite for persons in their condition. 
Some would prefer the situation of coachman, others 
that of donkey-boy, while the more active and nimble, 
the real descendants of Ishmael, gave demonstrations 
of a fitness for the office of a runner. In vain we endeav- 
ored to persuade them that in the midst of totally dif- 
ferent modes and customs, such services were not re- 
quired. They persisted in assuring us that they could 
be useful to us in some way, and of this we had no 
doubt ; and if the prospect of our return to our own 
country had been less distant, we should have been 
strongly tempted to make the experiment. 

We have seldom found any thing more interesting 
than one of the tombs at Dayr E' Nakhl. The walls are 
covered with decorative drawings and sculptures, most 
beautifully and delicately executed, and of such a char- 
acter as to throw much light upon the arts and sciences 
of that age. There is one object of especial interest and 
beauty, which Wilkinson thus minutely describes : 

" It represents a colossus on a sledge, which a num- 



TOMBS OF DAYR E' NAKHL. 



213 



ber of men are dragging with ropes, and is one of the 
few paintings that throws any light on the method em- 
ployed by the Egyptians for moving weights. 

" The consequence of this individual, Thothopt, is 
fully shown, not only by the fact of his having the honor 
of a colossal statue, -but by the employment of so many 
foreign captives in moving it, and an important proof 
is gained by the last-mentioned circumstance, of the 
conquest of the Egyptians over an Asiatic people, at the 
early period of Osirtarsin II., B. C. 1650, in whose reign 
this person lived, and in whose victories he had shared. 
He was a person of distinction in the military caste ; he 
is styled in the hieroglyphics, " the king's friend," and 
one of his children was named Osirtarsin, after that 
Pharaoh. One hundred and seventy-two men, in rows 
of forty-three each, pull the ropes attached to a ring in 
front of the sledge ; and a liquid, perhaps grease or 
water, is poured from a vase by a person standing on 
the pedestal of the statue, in order to facilitate its pro- 
gress as it slides on the ground, which was probably 
covered with a bed of planks, though they are not indi- 
cated by the pictures. 

" Some of the persons engaged in this laborious duty 
appear to be Egyptians, others are foreign slaves, who 
are clad in the costume of the country, and behind the 
statue are four rows of men, in all, twelve in number, 
representing either the architects and masons, or those 
who had an employment about the place, where the 
statue was to be conveyed. Below are others carrying 



214 



DAYR E' NAKHL. 



vases, apparently of water, and some machinery con- 
nected with the transport of the statue, followed by 
task-masters, with their wands of office. On the knee 
of the figure stands a man, who claps his hands to the 
measured cadence of a song, to mark the time, and in- 
sure their simultaneous draught, for it is evident that, 
in order that the whole power might be applied at the 
same moment, a sign of the kind was necessary, and the 
custom of singing at their work was common to every 
occupation of the Egyptians, as it now is in that coun- 
try, in India, and many other places. 

" The height of the statue appears to have been 
about twenty-four feet, including the pedestal. It was 
bound to the sledge by double ropes, tightened by 
means of long pegs inserted between them, and twisted 
round until completely braced ; and, to prevent friction 
from the ropes, a compress of leather, lead, or other sub- 
stance, was introduced between them and the stone. 
Before the figure a priestly scribe is presenting incense 
in honor of the person it represents ; and at the top of 
the picture companies of men march in an opposite di- 
rection, bearing branches of the palm. They are prob- 
ably the reliefs for dragging the statue. Beyond are 
men slaying an ox, and bringing the joints of meat be- 
fore the door of the building to which the statue was to 
be conveyed ; and below this the person of the tomb is 
seated under a canopy." 

Besides this, there are representations of spinning, 
weaving, and reeling of thread in small cases. There 



TOMBS OF DAYE, E' NAKHL. 



215 



is also a net full of fish, which shows an extremely nice 
attention to drawing, coloring, and perspective ; and 
the varied hues of the fish, as they are compressed in 
the swelling net, are as fresh as if they had been just 
caught. This painting is on a large scale, and has not 
been sculptured at all. Most of the representations in 
the tomb are of the same character, although the Co- 
lossus is sculptured merely, and of a miniature size. 
In one part the manner of watering a garden, and the 
manufacture of pottery, are represented. There are 
also cages containing ostriches, and the cages are pre- 
cisely like those in which the poultry is kept on our 
boat. 

Notwithstanding the great preservation of three 
sides of this tomb, one side of it is much destroyed, and 
the roof is in a very mutilated condition. Perhaps 
this has been occasioned by the fall of detached por- 
tions of rock from the mountain above. 

These catacombs are in the Gebel Aboo Fayden, and 
the view we had from this eminence, after finishing our 
investigations among the tombs, was scarcely less strik- 
ing than the one from the commanding heights back 
of Osioot. 

Nothing so well prepares the soul for the enjoyment 
of a rich, luxuriant, glowing landscape, as an absorbing 
contemplation of the dreamy records of bygone ages, 
especially when they are found amid mouldering walls. 
As we emerged from the dimly-lighted mausoleum, it 
was to us almost like a resurrection to life. The splen- 



216 



A CONVENT. 



dor of the light was at first dazzling, but as our eyes 
became gradually accustomed to it, we looked around 
upon a wide display of nature in her most charming 
garb. We stood upon a projecting rock, high above 
the 'yellow, sandy plain. Between that and verdant 
meadows was seen at intervals the broad, winding river, 
sparkling and bright, fringed with luxuriant and grace- 
ful palms ; and even the mud villages of the Copts, to 
which " distance lent enchantment," were not an un- 
welcome feature in the landscape. At our right, not 
far off, lay the ruins of the once beautiful town of An- 
tinoe, to which we were going to pay our respects, on 
our return. 

After drinking deeply of this elixir of life, we took 
up our line of march for the old Roman town, (Antinoe,) 
and on our way thither were delighted with the sight 
of two or three gazelles, who fled with incredible swift- 
ness as soon as they were aware of our approach. 
These beautiful creatures made all the more impression 
upon us for being the only wild animals we had seen 
during our voyage. 

We passed through a Copt village and stopped to 
look at an old church and convent, where they worship. 
We entered through the gate of a mud wall into a large 
court, where was an old and very deep well, but quite 
dry ; then we groped through an arch, over a threshold 
which was a fragment of a red granite column, into an 
inner court. In the rude wall were scattered pieces of 
Corinthian capitals and carved stones of great beauty, 



A COISTVENT. 



217 



doubtless precious ruins from the once magnificent city. 
We passed in and on, through dimness and dirt, until 
we came to a chamber, from which issued nasal sounds, 
that unmistakably proclaimed it to be a place of wor- 
ship ; and the monks were just then in the act of chant- 
ing. The odor from the burning lamps rendered an at- 
mosphere, already stifling from a close room, dust, and 
a congregation of beggarly monks, still more suffocat- 
ing, and we would gladly have beat a retreat ; but the 
lions had not all been seen, and these officious, credu- 
lous bigots set forth the claims of their saints and vir- 
gin so imploringly, that we staid to see them for pity's 
sake, if not from curiosity. But a difficulty arose ; only 
men and unmarried women were allowed to enter the 
sanctuary that contained such treasures. This would 
exclude. Mrs. , and as there seemed to be no con- 
venient way of disposing of her, it was no great stretch 
of conscience for Achmed to declare that the ladies 
were all in that unhappy condition ; and so we entered, 

Mrs. professing to have no scruples on account of 

the sanctity of the place. 

In the centre of this room, the walls of which were 
of mud, with a sprinkling of fragments of columns, was 
a tomb, which they affirmed to be the tomb of St. John 
the Revelator, who, they said, founded their church on 
that spot more than seventeen hundred years ago. 

They were much shocked because we did not kiss 
the tomb, and declared that we were totally ignorant 
of their great saint. This assertion was a little too 
10 



218 



much for Achmed, who told them that we knew much 
more about him than they did. An offer of backsheesh, 
that restorer of harmony in this country, transformed 
us, I have no doubt, from infidels to good Christians ; 
and so we parted from this sect of ignorant, misguided 
men. 

We passed over the site of the once famous city of 
Antinoe, built by Adrian, in commemoration of his fa- 
vorite Antinous, who, being with him in Egypt, was 
drowned near this place. Nothing remains to mark 
the spot but mounds and broken pottery. Tradition 
says that this was the site of an ancient city to which 
Pharaoh sent for his magicians. 

We returned to our boat, full of satisfaction. We 
had gained a great deal, and lost nothing by delay ; 
for the wind had veered to the north, and there re- 
mained during the day. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



TOMBS AT BENI HASSAN — JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN — FINE REPRE- 
SENTATIONS OP BIRDS — -AND OP FISHES — AND CATTLE — AGRICUL- 
TURAL PURSUITS — SINGULAR VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN — OPPOS- 
ING WINDS — TEMPEST-TOSSED — CAIRO IN SIGHT — ONE OF THE MEN 
PLUNGED — YISIT TO THE PYRAMID OF SAKKARA — MEMPHIS — CO- 
LOSSAL STATUE OF RAMESES THE GREAT — THE QUARRIES OF 
MASSARA. 

The next object of importance was Beni Hassan, which 
we reached on the morning of the 16th. 

We despatched our breakfast, and set off with pal- 
pitating hearts, for it is one of the tombs at Beni Has- 
san that contains the representation thought by some 
to refer to the arrival of Joseph's brethren. As nothing, 
among all the wonderful objects of Egyptian antiquity, 
could for a moment afford the same gratification that 
any trace f>{ this " peculiar people" would, we were im- 
patient to judge for ourselves whether there was any 
good reason for believing that they were depicted upon 
these walls. After examining the designs, and finding 
so little to favor such a conclusion, we could not fail to 



220 



TOMB OF BENT HASSAN. 



recognize, in the attempt to make it out, how intense 
must have been the desire to discover some relic of the 
chosen people of God which could extort its satisfaction 
from such slender materials. It would be difficult to 
believe that that primeval family, a band of shepherds, 
could have been clothed in the rich and skilfully woven 
stuffs worn by the persons here portrayed, resembling 
the nice fabrics of Persia or Cashmere. It is said 
that Joseph's father made him a coat of many colors, 
which implies that his dress was other and better than 
that of his brethren, who may be supposed to have worn 
robes of coarse undyed gray cloth, such as their de- 
scendants among the wandering Arabs wear at the 
present day. 

The group of seventy persons, here represented, 
seems to puzzle every one. All, both men and women, 
have the red complexion intended by the Egyptians to 
depict the white races. The men wear a tunic and 
sandals, and have a beard. The women are, also, 
dressed in tunics and wear low boots. They are not 
here presented to Pharaoh, but to the governor of this 
small province, who was the proprietor of the tomb. 
They bring with them offerings of gazelles and ostriches. 
Would the children of Jacob have brought these 
animals ? The number of persons here represented are 
seventy, and among them are said to be captives, while 
there were but five of Joseph's brethren. 

There are also to be seen in this tomb a variety 
of other objects of great interest, such as feats of 



VIEW FEOM BENI HASSAN. 221 

wrestling, playing at ball, dragging of large nets full of 
fish, bird-cages, containing birds nearly resembling the 
ostrich, cattle so well painted that a Paul Potter need 
not be ashamed of them, men wetting flax, and other 
agricultural employments. 

These catacombs are excavations in the rocks, and 
the chambers are generally vaulted. In one are doric 
columns, of four lotus stalks bound together at the 
top, and surmounted by a capital of lotus buds. 

The view from this place is very singular. In the 
distance lie a rich valley and the fertilizing river, from 
which, ascending the hill directly to the tombs, are 
remains of the road, constructed three thousand years 
ago for the purpose of conveying the bodies to their 
place of sepulture. Huge boulders of a dark brown 
color cover the sides of the road, and are very con- 
spicuous among the white sand and chalky mountain. 

From the 17th of April to the 23d the days and 
nights were passed by our sailors in a conflict with the 
wind, and the quiet of our own dispositions was some- 
what ruffled by the same cause. At times we were 
tempest-tossed, and our boat rocked as if we had been 
on the broad ocean. Every one knows that this 
motion is no sedative, and in the excited state of our 
minds, impatient to see the pyramids that were rising 
up on every side, impatient to get to Cairo for the let- 
ters we hoped to find there, impatient to have the 
great question decided whether we should go into the 
desert ; in this state of nervous excitability, there was 



222 SAKKAKA AND MEMPHIS. 

a tacit compact for silence. The sight of the grand 
city of Cairo, which burst upon us during this time, 
only increased our restless desire to reach it ; and yet it 
was the occasion of a little relief to the oppressiveness 
of our suspense. 

There appears to be a custom among the sailors of 
plunging into the river the one among their number 
who first discerns the minarets of Cairo, and Abdul- 
lah, our jester, faithful to his propensity for fun, sac- 
rificed himself on this occasion. 

On the morning of the 23d we were on our way to 
the pyramid of Sakkara, but we were destined to be 
disappointed ; for this mighty object, which had appear- 
ed so grand at a distance, contrary to usual optical 
laws, seemed to dwindle, as we approached it. It 
stands there, surrounded by gaping mummy pits, and 
mounds of sand, a monument — of what ? or to whom ? 
Who shall answer ? We gazed at it, as an inexplicable 
wonder of the world, and then turned to pay a tribute 
to the ruins of the once magnificent capital of Egypt, 
the site of which was near at hand. What remains to 
tell us of the mighty ones, at whose bidding was 
erected the stupendous pile of stones that we had left 
behind us ? The Necropolis points to Memphis as its 
origin, but what is there of that great city to respond ? 
Forests of palms, pools of water, fields of wheat, every- 
thing in short to make one forget antiquity, cover the 
buried grandeur of the boasted Memphis. There lies, 
indeed, upon the spot, a colossal statue of the great 



STATUE OF BEMESES. 



223 



Remeses, but it seems out of place. It is extremely 
beautiful, and the features and expression resemble 
strikingly those of Aboo Simbel. It lies upon the face, 
but as the ground is hollow beneath, it is easy to ex- 
amine it. The under part is smoothly polished, although 
the upper parts, where it has been exposed, are cor- 
roded. The lower parts of the legs are broken ; but 
the upper part of the body is perfect, with the excep- 
tion of an arm, which is nearly destroyed by the 
natural decay of the stone. It was, a long time since, 
presented to the British Museum, and would certainly 
grace even that splendid collection. 

In the afternoon we crossed the river to the quar- 
ries of Massara. Some notion may be formed of their 
prodigious extent, when it is considered that they have 
for ages furnished Memphis with stone, and more 
recently the city of Cairo. 

The ancients seem to have observed great care in 
excavating, and the precision and regularity of their 
cuttings are very beautiful. In many places are finely 
sculptured slabs, but alas ! the destructive Turks and 
Arabs have had no mercy upon them, and by means 
of blasting have destroyed many of these interesting 
relics. 

This eminence commands a fine view of the pyra- 
mids on the opposite shore, and of the surrounding 
country. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



RELUCTANCE TO PART FROM OUR BOAT — KINDNESS OF THE BOATMEN — 

THEIR ENDURANCE MEAGRE FOOD AND SMALL PAY COOKING 

APPARATUS OF THE CREW DANGER FROM FIRE PYRAMIDS OF 

GHIZEH DISAPPOINTMENT AND REASON FOR IT CHARMING LAND- 
SCAPE — THE ISLE OF RHODA MOORING AND PULLING UP OF 

STAKES — GARDEN OF THE PACHA — MIRAGE. 

The time now drew very near when we were to part 
from our little abode, where we had passed three 
months of nearly unalloyed happiness. But it is hardly 
worth while to dwell here upon what every one can 
imagine to have been the conflicting emotions with 
which we regarded the prospect of breaking up our 
little family and establishment. We were truly loth 
to part from our boatmen, whose unofficious kindness 
never failed. No matter how hard they had been 
towing, the boat was no sooner made fast to the shore 
than they strove who should be foremost in aiding the 
lame ones of our party, in the short excursions not re- 
quiring donkeys, and this without the hope of any 
special personal recompense; for it was an inviolable 



COOKING APPARATUS. 



225 



law of honor with them to make an equal division of 
backsheesh. 

The endurance of these men is astonishing, and 
their pay and meagre food are pitiful. They receive 
two dollars and a half a month, and out of this they 
provide their own food. 

It may well be supposed that they did not "fare 
sumptuously every day," and it was with a feeling akin 
to shame, that, after rising from a luxurious dinner, I 
used, on going upon deck, to see them seated around 
their wooden bowl, dipping out of it with their fingers 
the soaked brown bread, mixed with pepper, salt and 
onions, that Sherif, who was their man Friday, had pre- 
pared for them. 

Happily, Achmed was faithful to the charge given 
him to furnish them from time to time with a sheep, 
and it was a great treat to see their pot boiling, while 
Sherif stood by it poking under the fagots. 

Their cooking apparatus was even more simple than 
the one for our use. By the side of our kitchen stood 
a wooden box, perhaps three feet long and two wide, 
half filled with sand and stones, upon which is made 
the fire, and the pot for cooking is placed upon it. The 
palm-groves, where we stop from time to time, furnish 
the fuel, and as there is no great economy in the use of 
it, I have often been alarmed when a high wind blew 
about the sparks and flames, apparently threatening 
inevitable conflagration. Then there was powder in 
the hold — not much, to be sure, — but there was pow- 
10* 



226 PYEAMIDS OF GHIZEH. 

der. The men smoked, and often dropped a coal into 
the opening beneath where they sat, and if they 
searched for it at all, it was with a degree of indiffer- 
ence that only a Mussulman could feel. It was in vain 
we were assured that a Dahabiah was never known to 
be burnt upon the Nile. There must be a first time, 
and there was no great consolation in the thought that 
we might be held up as a warning to-those who came 
after us. But one becomes reconciled to the worst of 
things, and in a few days I was as tranquil as a Turk. 

On the 26th, joined by some friends from Cairo, we 
set off for the pyramids of Ghizeh. We were well 
mounted on fine large donkeys, for this animal increases 
in size as one approaches the city. But notwithstand- 
ing a comparatively rapid pace, we did not seem to 
make any progress towards attaining the object of our 
visit. Like those of Sakkara, these pyramids had the 
appearance of diminishing, and consequently, receding, 
as we approached them ; and this singular fact is stated 
by many travellers. 

As I intend that nothing but truth shall find its way 
into this volume, and mean to record only such impres- 
sions as are real, I am bound to confess that the sight 
of these pyramids, when we had reached them, was far 
from producing the emotions that I had expected. The 
sublimity, that usually accompanies such vastness, is lost 
from the want of some near object with which to com- 
pare it. The fact that the largest one covers about 
fourteen acres of ground, and is four hundred and sev- 



PYRAMIDS OF GHIZEH. 



221 



enty-four feet high, cannot be comprehended by the 
eye. From their isolated position, in the midst of an 
immense plain, the grandeur of size fails to make its 
usual impression ; and there is nothing of beauty in form 
or construction to gratify the sight. One is obliged to 
have recourse to mathematical computation to appre- 
ciate ; — and the enthusiasm excited by associating 
them with remote antiquity, with old Cheops, with 
the wonder how so many enormous stones could be put 
together, and the still greater wonder why it was 
ever done, — is less likely to be felt when you are sur- 
rounded by chattering Arabs, persecuting your very 
soul for backsheesh, than while sitting and viewing 
the thing calmly, with the eye of faith, by your own 
fireside. 

Everybody knows that these pyramids are composed 
of huge blocks of stone, and as some of them are four 
feet in thickness, and as the ascent is made by climbing 
from one layer to another, it cannot be done without 
considerable difficulty. Yet it must be done. It is 
bad enough to be a disappointed spectator of monu- 
ments that from earliest childhood have been haunting 
you, and beckoning for some real, tangible communion. 
One would be subjected to lasting reproach who did 
not climb to the very top. Happily there is plenty of 
force to be called in to one's aid, in case of need. The 
difficulty, indeed, is in shaking off such of the offered 
guides as one does not want. There is little choice to 
be made, for they all look like bandits, and the perse- 



228 



PYRAMIDS OF GHIZEH. 



cuting demands for backsheesh that ring through one's 
ears remind you of the tortures of Italy. There is no 
end to their contrivances for extorting something from 
you, and a favorite one is telling you that they can go 
up and down in a certain number of minutes ; and no 
doubt, if sufficient encouragement were held out, the 
pyramid would be covered with them as a hive with 
bees, for they congregate here in swarms to feed upon 
travellers. 

Of course, too, we attempted to explore the interior, 
and groped through the unventilated passages of pol- 
ished stone, so smooth that the hand could get no 
hold upon it, and so high that in the dim torch-light 
the eye is unable to reach the top. We clambered up 
an inclined plane, until coming to a bend, we found our- 
selves in a passage so low that we were obliged to 
crouch to an uncomfortable degree. We were at 
length relieved by an entrance to what is called the 
Queen's chamber. 

I do not intend to describe this bewildering monu- 
ment of Egyptian architecture, which has already given 
rise to volumes, and is well known to every one. I can 
truly say that it was a place of inexpressible horror. 
There was a sort of blackness of darkness that might 
lead to despair. There was just enough of the lurid 
torch-light, flitting about in places, to make you feel 
the darkness. Then the glare upon the sinister faces 
of the torch-bearers, the sense of suffocation, and, final- 
ly, the thought that by some chance you may never 



THE SPHINX. 



229 



escape ! All praise to tjie lover of antiquity who has 
the nerve to explore and demonstrate mathematically 
the angles and proportions of this awful dungeon ! 

Having escaped from this imprisonment, we went 
to make our salutations to the giant sentinel, the im- 
mortal sphinx. Think for how many generations it 
has been on duty, and yet survives to lure the gaze of 
all passers by. Time has dealt roughly with it, how- 
ever. A mutilated nose disfigures what would be, if 
that were in good condition, a tranquil, serene counte- 
nance, and a projection upon each side of the head in- 
vests it with the dignity of an apparent wig. Yet the 
general aspect is not imposing, as one might suppose it 
would be, from its enormous size. This may be owing 
to a certain squatty appearance it has, in consequence 
of being much covered by the sand. 

Wilkinson tells us, " Pliny says it measured, from 
the belly to the highest part of the head, sixty-three 
feet, its length was one hundred and forty-three, and 
the circumference of its head round the forehead one 
hundred and two feet, all cut in the natural rock, and 
worked smooth." We gazed long at this renowned 
object, and, leaving it, turned again and again to catch 
another and another look, until it dwindled into insig- 
nificance ; and reverence and veneration for the past 
were exchanged for the fresh exhilaration that a land- 
scape breathing life and beauty is sure to inspire. As 
far as the eye could reach, lay stretched out before us a 
fertile plain, rich in the abundance of its produce ; and 



230 AN ADVENTUKE. 

Cairo, with her majestic mosqjies and minarets, was the 
crowning glory of the scene. 

On our return from this delightful ride of seven 
miles, we moored in a charming spot between the isle of 
Rhoda and Cairo, just beneath the windows of a pretty 
palace, with tasteful verandahs. We congratulated 
ourselves on finding such a nice little nook, and were 
taking our repose, unconscious that there were other 
beings than ourselves in the world, when Soter burst in 
upon us in such dismay that he could scarcely make 
himself intelligible. By a glance out of the window we 
informed ourselves, sooner than he could by words, of 
the difficulty. 

There stood three sleek, fat negroes, deliberately 
taking up the pins by which we were fastened to the 
shore. Their obvious intention to oust us was stoutly 
resisted by our men, (the dragoman and Rais were both 
absent,) who were furious with rage at this impertinent 
molestation of their howadji. They would scarcely 
listen patiently to the instructions they received to re- 
sort to no violence, but continually interrupted the mes- 
senger with, " if Mr. says so, we will eat them up." 

At last they were made to understand that they were 
to do no such thing, but were simply to put the boat 
back and fasten it, which they accordingly did. 

In the mean time the blackies disappeared, but it was 
only to return in a few minutes with a little boy, seven 
or eight years old, whose smart fez and long frock-coat, 
" all buttoned down before," proclaimed his rank. He 



AN ADVENTURE. 



231 



commenced an oration, gesticulating violently with his 
hands and feet. This was too much for us, and we 
rushed into the cabin to conceal indecorous bursts of 
laughter. The true state of things was now plain 
enough. The howadji was not at home. 

Although not a face was to be seen through the 
latticed windows of the mansion, yet the Harem could 
look down upon us, and had done so, it appeared, with 
no great satisfaction ; and it was they who had given 
such peremptory orders for our unceremonious removal , 
and when they found that their commands were dis- 
puted, they had sent the young heir apparent, who in- 
sisted with no little volubility upon the propriety of obe- 
dience to his mamma. However, we stood our ground, 
for in these countries might makes right, and they had 
used so little ceremony, that courtesy was not required 
of us. 

After a while, a very gentlemanly person, of some 
rank, who was the proprietor of the palace, came to us 
with an ample apology, full of regret and mortification 
that the affair should have occurred, and very politely 
offered rooms, or anything that could promote our com- 
fort. One would like to have peeped behind the lat- 
tices after the return of the lord and master, just to 
know how such things are settled with the women in 
Eastern climes. 

When Achmed returned, he was informed of what 
had transpired. " I wish I had been here," said he, " I 
would have licked them all ; that is the only thing to do 



232 



GARDEN AT EHODA. 



with this people." Such was always the conclusion of 
the whole matter with him. Some one remarked that 
it was, probably, not very agreeable to have us there. 
"That is nothing," said Achmed; "the Nile is not 
theirs, it is God's." 

Being freed from compulsion, we would not remain 
where our presence was so annoying, and moved off a 
mile or two, where we took up our quarters for the 
night and next day under a beautiful garden, which 
formed the point of that gem of an island. 

We were off the next morning betimes to enjoy ram- 
bles in the Eden that lay so invitingly near us. This 
garden was the result of the fine taste and liberality of 
Ibrahim Pacha. A canal, walled with smooth blocks 
of stone on both sides, and furnished with water by the 
Nile, winds through it, and formerly supplied a fountain 
or grotto, of great beauty, made of shells from the Red 
Sea. Paths, following this canal, and diverging from 
it in various directions, are bordered with luxuriant 
roses, and a great variety of fine trees. The garden 
was in a very neglected condition when we saw it, but 
we chanced to be there at a season when the roses were 
in full bloom, and such a wilderness of them could 
scarcely be imagined. A soft, delicious morning air 
was redolent with the perfume, which we snuffed with 
no little delight as we wandered through labyrinthine 
walks enjoying the thick-set shrubbery and umbrageous 
trees whose branches dipped into the water. 

Formerly, this was open to the public, and every- 



APPROACH TO CAIKO. 



233 



body had a right not only to walk in it, but also to 
gather the flowers — a rich blessing — especially in a re- 
gion where arbors and fountains and flowers are such 
rare events. Achmed sighed as he contrasted its present 
condition with what it once was. " Indeed, Achmed, 
the people must have been very well satisfied with a 
man who allowed them such privileges." " Ah, he good 
man ; the people like him very much," was his reply. 

Our sail continued from this place through dreamy, 
fairy-land, the calm and undisturbed water giving back 
a perfect image of the exuberant foliage that crowned 
the banks of richest green. 

This, our last day on board, was a busy and bustling 
one. There was all the excitement and commotion that 
usually attends the breaking up of housekeeping. Boxes, 
hammers, and saws, were all in requisition, and a gen- 
eral running to and fro, with books, stones, plants, rep- 
tiles, and all the et-cseteras of itinerant virtuosos. But 
these important transactions must not divert our atten- 
tion from the spectacle of enchantment that greeted our 
eyes. 

Cairo, as if to make amends for the pain which 
attended the parting from what we were about to 
leave behind us — Grand Cairo — had magnified her 
splendor for our reception. Her noble mosques, 
stately minarets, and lofty citadel were faintly, but 
distinctly, multiplied and reflected, as if suspended in 
the ether above her. These shadowy images were seen 
through a delicate veil of purple light that invested 



234 



APPROACH TO CAIRO. 



the whole scene, and nothing could have been more 
beautifully characteristic of this former theatre of spells 
and incantations than the phantom-like aspect with 
which she lay before us. We all agreed that we had 
never seen a more interesting display of mirage. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



RETURN TO CAIRO — PREPARATIONS FOR THE DESERT — MAHAFFA — 
EXCURSION TO THE PETRIFIED FOREST — RETURN THROUGH THE 
CITY — DISASTER — SHEIKH HOSEIN — VISITORS — SNAKE-CHARMER — 
OUTFIT COMPLETED — DISPLAY OF TENTS — SPECTATORS — DEPARTURE. 

On our return to Cairo, we went directly to the hotel 
we had occupied on our former visit. "We had no time 
to lose in gathering what information and counsel we 
could in relation to the contemplated expedition into 
the desert. We resolved to abide by the knowledge 
of those who had had some experience, and after due 
inquiry and reflection, it was decided that there would 
be no danger to those who had been accustomed to 
the scorching suns of the United States. 

As our mode of travelling was to be by means of 
camels, it was thought best to try our wings and see if 
we could fly, previous to making the necessary con- 
tract with the Arab chiefs for a conveyance across the 
desert. Consequently a proper number of camels were 
ordered, and as Mrs. was too much of an invalid 



236 



A MAHAFFA. 



to travel, in the usual manner, upon the back of the 
camel, a Mahaffa was procured for her. 

This Mahaffa answers for a carriage among the 
grandees and princesses of Arabia, and is of such simple 
and rude construction as none but the unprogressive 
Arab would tolerate ; and yet perhaps it answers the 
purpose for which it is designed better than any thing 
more artistic. It consists of two boxes, about five or 
six feet long, and three or four wide. These are 
formed of a framework of tough wood, having a bot- 
tom of boards, and sides two feet, perhaps, in depth. 
Sticks of the same tough wood are carried over the 
top, so as to leave a space between them and the bot- 
tom of five or six feet. Over the rough sticks was 
thrown a patchwork covering, intended for an awning. 
These boxes, connected by withes and straps ingeniously 
placed so as to suit the humps of the camel, are swung 
across the back, and come upon the sides of the animal, 
and are fastened by other straps and withes. 

The whole of this vehicle, when stretched out upon 
the camel, is eight or ten feet wide, and the apartments 
are roomy enough to contain several persons, but the 
strength of a single camel would not be adequate to so 
great a burden. One person on each side is the allotted 
weight, and the individual who is destined to be shaken 
and tortured has the option of being stowed between 
cushions and pillows, the thermometer at 98° or 100° 
F., or to take the motion the natural way on bare 
boards. But of course, no one submits to a condition 



A MAHAFFA. 



237 



like this without rehearsal. It was agreed that the 
trial exj)edition should be made to the petrified forest, 
a few miles from Cairo, whither we were to go and re- 
turn the same evening. The camels were paraded be- 
fore the door of the hotel, but as the Arabs are always 
procrastinating in their movements, it was a long time 
before every thing was ready for our departure. Fi- 
nally, all is complete, — the camel kneels, and commences 
the grumbling noise for which he is so famous ; then, 
putting one foot on his neck, you drag yourself the 
best way you can into the spacious receptacle, and lo- 
cate yourself at the end farthest from the animal's 
head. 

At length we were off, and truly the skill required 
of a landlubber in walking deck at sea, is nothing com- 
pared .with the contrivances one is obliged to resort to 
to preserve an equilibrium when first put into this fluc- 
tuating machine ; and one may imagine the fidgeting 
and shifting that would ensue when any tried position 
became no longer endurable. There is nothing to 
which the motion can be so justly likened as to the 
rolling of a ship, and any one who has been pitched 
about in his berth at sea until he has felt the necessity 
of wedging himself in with pillows, can understand what 
chance of comfort there might be in such a place, where 
the space was too great to be filled up, and one was 
left to roll and make ineffectual struggles for perma- 
nency. The breath was, literally, almost jolted out of 
our body; talking was out of the question, for the 



238 



A TRIAL EXPEDITION. 



words bolted. On our arrival at the forest we were 
too much exhausted to try the camel's back home, as 
we had intended to do. 

The forest had peculiar interest for us. Some acres 
are covered with petrified logs, lying among chips and 
bark distinguished by marks characteristic of the kind 
of tree or shrub of which they were a part. One is a 
good deal perplexed in making a choice of specimens 
to be borne away. As you handle it you perceive the 
impossibility of taking with you many pieces of so 
great weight, and a few scarcely combine all you desire. 
There are many other localities of petrifactions in dif- 
ferent regions about the Nile, although this is said to 
be the largest, and is more visited than any other, be- 
cause it is so easy of access from Cairo, and furnishes a 
day's amusement for the traveller who may be waiting 
impatiently for the necessary preparations to continue 
his journey. 

We returned to town by the way of the tombs of the 
Memlook Sultans. This route took us home through 
the heart of the old town. The party of camel-riders 
had the precedence, and the Mahaffa followed in the 
rear. We entered the narrow streets, lined with bazaars, 
and the gaze of the gaping multitude was diverted from 
those before us, and fixed with dismay upon us, as we 
proceeded, jostling the wretches who chanced to be out- 
side of the little shops ; and swinging from one side of 
the street to the other, we tore away from the bazaars 
the blinds and wares with which we had grappled. 



PREPARATION FOR THE DESERT. 239 



Besides the injury we were doing them, I really thought 
we should be rent asunder. The Mahaffa creaked and 
writhed, and twisted, and finally the legs of the camel 
became entangled in the ropes. It was in vain that I 
called to some one to arrest our progress. My cries 
were only added to the uproar that surrounded us ; 
and Achmed was too far off to hear. We soon extri- 
cated ourselves, however, from these difficulties, and ar- 
rived safely at our hotel. 

"We had now experienced, that what others had done 
and could do, we could, and all diligence was given to 
the necessary preparations for a journey across the desert. 

I must not omit mentioning that two of the lame 
ones of our party had been patched up by a beggarly 
old Arab, at Cairo ; for no one was wild enough to 
think of making an expedition like the one we had in 
view with so helpless a number of persons. This, there- 
fore, was the first thing to be thought of, as upon it de- 
pended all our arrangements. 

Next to that wonderful cure, which decided our fate, 
the most important transaction was the treaty with the 
renowned old rogue, Sheikh Hoseyn, who was to under- 
take our safe conduct as far as Hebron. Happily he was 
at Cairo, and to be laid hold of in "propria persona." 

His reputed character for knavery and treachery 
leads, of course, to distrust, and any one who has a con- 
tract to make with him must be perplexed to find some 
mode of strengthening it, so that he may not be ex- 
posed to the disastrous effects of the duplicity from 



240 



PREPARATION FOR THE DESERT. 



which his predecessors have suffered. All this, after 
much toil and vexation, was accomplished. 

While this was in progress, our room was daily- 
thronged with visitors, and were it not that we mean 
to avoid all personalities, we would dwell upon the 
kindnesses, rendered by many, that are deeply impressed 
upon our memories. 

Among them were gaily dressed Sheikhs, with long 
robes of Damascus silk, immense turbans and flowing 
beards ; money-changers with bags of gold, in richly- 
decorated and gay apparel, with black and lustrous 
eyes and snow-white turbans. A less agreeable object 
was one of those loathsome beings who dandle and ca- 
ress serpents — a snake-charmer. The exhibition of his 
acquired power over these animals afforded little pleas- 
ure, and as the subtle reptile danced upright, and coiled 
itself about the person who fondled it, one could scarce- 
ly refrain from believing that it was controlled by the 
fascinating eye of a sorcerer. 

Our outfit was finally complete. It was a very dif- 
ferent affair from that which had been necessary for a 
Nile expedition. The first thing to be thought of, and 
most strenuously insisted on, was an ample supply of 
water and oranges. All articles of furniture must be 
of some material that would stand the ups and downs, 
and topsy-turvies to which they were to be exposed, 
and hereafter our table was to be resplendent with 
bright tin cups and saucers, plates, tumblers, &c. The 
cups were of the generous size adapted to the thirsty 



PREPARATION FOR THE DESERT. 



241 



desert, holding at least a pint or, more. Our apparatus 
for sleeping was the best that Cairo could furnish, but 
proved to be altogether defective. The bedsteads were 
made of slender pieces of wood, jointed in the middle 
of the sides, so as to fold by means of hinges, for the 
purpose of being compact for transportation. To this 
a sacking was attached, common wooden horses were 
made use of to support it at night, and a thin mattress 
of cotton served for our bed. Of course the incum- 
brance of a wardrobe was diminished as much as possi- 
ble, and indeed, the three months of our Nile voyage 
had nearly led to an oblivion of the luxury of a toilette. 

The day before our departure, the tents were dis- 
played for our inspection on the opposite side of the 
street from our hotel. They were gay, fantastic, Ori- 
ental ; t varying in size, according to the number of oc- 
cupants. All, excepting one, were of white cotton on 
the outside, lined with red and yellow in broad stripes. 
The largest of all, which was to be the tent of state, was 
green, lined with the brightest colored chintz. 

The appearance of these tents indicated the depart- 
ure of a caravan of some importance, and as they were 
pitched for many hours by the side of a much fre- 
quented street, the community at large were pretty 
well informed of what was going forward. Conse- 
quently, in this city, barren of amusements, where every 
thing that will while away time is seized upon with 
avidity, there congregated about our hotel, on the 
morning of our departure, a motley crowd of curious 
11 



242 PREPARATION FOR THE DESERT. 



spectators. Brown faces, with and without beards, 
under grayish-white skull-caps, belonging to attenuated 
forms, sometimes robed in brown woollen bournouses, 
and full white cotton trowsers, terminating at the knee, 
the legs and feet bare ; sometimes in a long straight 
dress of light blue ; then again in a black or brown 
bournous, confined at the waist by a sash of variegated 
bright colors ; the head decorated with a handkerchief 
of red and yellow, the legs adorned with closely fitting 
stockings of blue, with red or black or yellow seams, 
fastened at the knee with a band of some gay color, — 
tassels dangling ; barefooted, bareheaded boys, with 
an apology for a garment " all tattered and torn ; " 
poor, wretched-looking men, with eyes so dim from oph- 
thalmia that only by " the hearing of the ear " could 
their curiosity be gratified ; women in long, narrow 
blue gowns, the face covered from the eyes with a strip 
of thick black muslin falling nearly to the feet, and 
something of the same sort thrown over the head ; — 
constituted the picturesque, Oriental group, which was 
sprinkled with some pepper-and-salt or black coats of 
English and Americans, who perhaps were more inter- 
ested than the natives in witnessing the novelty of the 
scene. 

And now, behold us descending the stairs of our 
hotel, followed by a troop of idle servants, with hands 
extended for yet another backsheesh, the court filled 
with sheikhs and attendants, who make their salaams 
as we pass. The crowd outside, who have pressed for- 



DEPASTURE FOR THE DESERT. 243 



ward so as to choke the entrance, are unceremoniously 
thrust from the portal ; and amid such a jargon of 
sounds as was never known excepting at Babel, we 
committed ourselves to the custody of Arab chiefs, 
camels, and camel-drivers. 

Although preparations for our departure had been 
going on since quite an early hour in the morning, yet, 
owing to the tardiness of the chiefs, the day was on the 
wane before we were fairly off ; but this was of the less 
consequence, as it had been agreed that we should go 
only an hour or so for the first encampment, so that in 
ease of leaving any thing behind it might be sent for. 

Some friends from Cairo accompanied us thus far in 
a carriage, and passed the evening with us. The ro- 
mance *of this patriarchal mode of travelling was not 
felt until after we had bid a final adieu to coaches and 
horses, Parisian dresses, straight-bodied coats, and round 
black hats. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



FIRST NIGHT AND MORNING — MODE OF LIFE IN THE DESERT — CARAYAN — 

THIRST DESERT FROM CAIRO TO SUEZ — CHARACTER AND DRESS OF 

HOSEYN— SHEIKH UMBARRAK AND THE MEN — A DAY'S TRAYEL RE- 
POSE COFFEE FROM HOSEYN CAMELS' MILK — OUR COOK MOHAM- 
MED DISPOSITION OF THE MEN AND CAMELS FOR THE NIGHT RE- 
FRESHING NIGHTS — CHARACTERISTICS OF PLACES OF ENCAMPMENT, 
AND OF THE BEDOUINS — CONTRACT TO SYRIA. 

The repose of the first night was interrupted by the fe- 
verish excitement that would naturally attend so novel 
an enterprise. We were awakened the next morning, 
which was the 7th of May, while the stars were yet 
twinkling brightly, and now commenced the reale of a 
mode of life which was to continue for more than forty 
days. 

By the dim light of the heavenly host, and faint 
promises of coming dawn, we sprang from our couches, 
and after using a hurried bath in a tin basin, with 
a stinted measure of water, we rapidly made our 
toilette in time to escape from having our house pulled 
down about our ears ; for the men always commenced 
taking up the pins that fastened it to the ground before 
we had quite put in order our sac de nuit. 



FKOM CAIRO TO SUEZ. 



245 



On emerging with half-opened eyes from our tent, 
we found the process of camel-loading and cooking go- 
ing on, for we were always a little in advance of break- 
fast. The table was uniformly laid in the open air, the 
canopy of heaven our only shelter, and the enjoyment 
of that early hour would have been complete, but for 
the incessant grumbling of the camels. 

As soon as we were out of our tents, all hands were 
diligently employed in taking them down, rolling up 
bedding, folding up bedsteads, stowing them into strong 
sacks, rolling up the straw matting spread by our beds, 
and packing up sundry articles that were scattered 
about. These, with the trunks, were deposited upon 
the animals, who reluctantly knelt to receive them, and 
who invariably manifested an aversion to the drudgery 
they were subjected to by an incessant and doleful 
growling, to which it was painful to listen. The cook- 
ing apparatus, and table with its furniture, were the last 
articles disposed of. 

Our caravan consisted of twenty camels, besides a 
large one who had the honor of bearing the Mahaffa. 
Four of them were laden with casks of water, others 
with baggage, and a few of finer mould, yclept drome- 
daries, were kept for riding. 

The plain over which we passed from Cairo to Suez, 
although monotonous, is diversified by hillocks of sand, 
and occasionally a dwarf thorny acacia or tamerisk was 
visible, the sickly green of which made one feel yet more 
the desolation. Innumerable straight, narrow paths 



246 



OUR CARAVAN. 



that have been formed by single files of camels, mark 
the way across the desert, which is rather a hard gravel 
than sand ; and one is never more conscious of the unal- 
terable nature of this people than when regarding these 
little dark-looking lines, which have known no change 
for ages, and some of which were, perhaps, laid out by 
the feet of the Israelitish host. We frequently met re- 
turn caravans from Suez, following the various paths. 

A large, clumsy coach, with several horses, over 
which the driver cracked his whip as he was leaving one 
of the station-houses between Cairo and Suez, bespoke 
the innovation of another race. This was one of the 
coaches belonging to the Transit Company, and was the 
last we saw of carriages for many weeks. 

Let us now take a survey of our caravan and see what 
impression the uncurbed, sturdy sons of the desert make 
upon us. At first we were any thing but satisfied with the 
exchange we had made of the long-tried familiar faces 
and habits of the Egyptians and Nubians for this more 
grave, iron-visaged set of mortals. We missed the lazy, 
soothing tones of the darabooka ; and when weary of in- 
effectual attempts to entertain ourselves by conversa- 
tion we applied for the restoring power of music, they 
obligingly set up a sort of dirge that was so grating to 
our ears as to prevent all farther demands upon their 
vocal accomplishments. 

We had made up our minds to distrust the chief of 
chiefs, old Sheikh Hoseyn ; we were to shun him from 
principle. And yet, the delicate and regularly beauti- 



OLD SHEIKH HOSEYN. 



247 



M lineaments of his face, the long, flowing, silky, white 
beard, the grace and urbanity of his manner, all com- 
bined to inspire admiration, respect, and veneration. 
His eye, and that alone, warned one to beware of him. 
It was a soft hazel, small and round, and full of duplicity 
and cunning. His usual dress was a long robe of striped 
red and white Damascus silk, over which he sometimes 
wore a black woollen bournous; his head was covered 
with a fez, round which was twisted carelessly, but 
gracefully, a turban of thick white muslin, and over that 
was thrown a gay red and yellow striped silk handker- 
chief, with a fringe eight or ten inches deep. It was in 
this dress he made his appearance to us at our hotel in 
Cairo, excepting that over the robe of Damascus silk 
was one of scarlet broad-cloth, embroidered with gold, 
and as this was a special occasion, the robe was left 
somewhat open in front so as to permit the under ap- 
parel of white to be seen. 

Afterwards, at the time of his conge at Hebron, he 
presented himself in a dress of state. Over a robe of 
silk was the one of scarlet broad-cloth, and over that 
was one of superb black broad-cloth. A fine Cashmere 
shawl was wound in careless folds about his turban, and 
the old man, courteous and perfectly at his ease, was 
magnificent. His person did not appear overloaded, 
and his movements were free, graceful, and dignified. 
He was small of stature, and his thin body could bear 
such a quantity of vestments. 

The other sheikh — we had two — was subordinate. 



248 



SHEIKH UMBAEAEK. 



He was master of the camels, and a perfect contrast to' 
Hoseyn. He was large, straight, as are all the Arabs, 
with rather more than the usual breadth of shoulder. 
His countenance indioated shrewdness, intelligence, 
good nature, and determination. He had a dark-gray, 
deep-set eye, penetrating and mirthful. His* hair and 
beard were black, sprinkled with white. His dress 
seemed ill suited to one whose countenance denoted 
characteristics that, in our country, would have raised 
him to a high position. A garment, similar to that worn 
by the rest of his tribe, of coarse brown cloth, without 
shoes or stockings, a cotton fez, over which was tied the 
red and yellow kerchief, with the long fringe peculiar 
to the Bedouin tribes, was his entire wardrobe. In 
this patriarchal attire, he was always dignified, know- 
ing alike how to render and to command respect. 

The two sheikhs had camels for riding ; the 
other men, amounting to fifteen or twenty, generally 
trudged along on foot, taking turns of rest upon the 
baggage camels, where they invariably laid themselves 
down in some shape or other and slept. The motion 
of the camel is one that tends to produce excessive 
drowsiness. 

We usually travelled about ten hours, and long, 
long hours were the last two or three of them. Some- 
times we exceeded this, for if there was a spot that had 
the attraction of a pool of water or a few succulent 
herbs that might answer for the camels, we were sure 
to be dragged on, however exhausted we might be. 



PITCHING TENTS. 



249 



The dogged resolution with which these Arabs persist 
in keeping on to the place they have chosen for encamp- 
ment is truly wonderful. They do not condescend to 
inform you why you are not permitted to have the re- 
pose you seek for, but on they jog at the same unalter- 
able pace, and there is nothing left but to follow. 

It was always a joyful moment when we saw the 
sheikh deviate from the path and mark the spot for the 

encampment. When we had reached it, Mrs. , with 

her cushions and pillows, was always deposited upon 
the ground somewher e near, and formed a sort of nucleus 
for the rest to cluster round. There, throwing ourselves 
down upon the sand, too much exhausted from heat and 
fatigue to resort to books or writing, we used to watch 
the dexterity of the men while pitching the tents and 
unloading the camels. 

While this was going on, before our cook had time 
to light his fire, we were certain of seeing the black 
servant of old Hoseyn march up to us with small cups 
of spiced coffee, that had been sent by his master, and 
was brought with his compliments. We at first thought 
it was very gracious on the part of the old man, and 
supposed it was intended for one of those acts of cour- 
tesy that are twice blessed. But how were we diverted 
and amused, when informed, as we soon were, that the 
coffee was a portion of what he daily robbed from our 
stores for his own use ! He never omitted this polite 
attention, which we always received in good faith, and 

to tell the truth, it was quite refreshing and acceptable, 
11* 



250 



OUR COOK, MOHAMMED. 



coming, as it did, so much in advance of our own. 
Another article of real luxury which he never failed to 
send, night and morning, was a large dish of camel's milk, 
from one of his own camels — much approved by all. 

We soon found that the men, upon whom much of 
our comfort was to depend for weeks to come, although 
having an air of great indifference, were not des- 
titute of true kindness. Even they had compassion 
upon our weariness, and made haste to unload and 
pitch the tents, for that was always the first thing, and 
the attention of all hands was directed to that one ob- 
ject of interest until it was completed. Our own ser- 
vants were as apt in this new mode of travelling as 
they had been on the Nile, and were far more expert 
in whatever they undertook than the Arabs. Mo- 
hammed, our cook, continued with us, as he did, 
indeed, to the end of our travels through Syria. He 
was untiring in his efforts to gratify our tastes, and his 
culinary skill had not diminished in the least. Our 
table, which was none of the strongest, and not very 
firm on the uneven ground, groaned under the same 
varieties of mutton and poultry as formerly, with the 
additional seasoning of a goodly quantity of dust. The 
inexhaustible patience and assiduity of this man were 
astonishing. He knew no rest, or certainly, very little. 
His department, of course, engrossed his whole atten- 
tion, and he was always to be seen apart from the rest, 
making his fire, and preparing the aliments which were 
to refresh and invigorate the half-famished set of mor- 



NIGHT IN THE DESERT. 



251 



tals who impatiently awaited the summons to dinner* 
It was not until a late hour in the evening that poor 
Mohammed had ended the toil of the day, and then he 
must be up at a very early hour in the morning to pre- 
pare a breakfast of fowls or mutton, and have it on the 
table while the stars were yet lingering in the heavens. 
He and his camel were always the last of the train in 
the morning, but as he was not confined to the slow 
gait of the loaded camels, he used often to pass those 
of us who were forward, and his countenance always 
betokened a degree of goodnature and resignation that 
might serve as a lesson to many a Christian. 

When the tents were pitched, the camels were led 
up and made to kneel all around them in a circle, at 
the distance of a few feet, where they remained until 
morning. Some time was required to accustom one to 
the sound of the craunching of the beans, which was 
their food. The men stretched themselves outside of 
the camels, as a protection from marauders. Thus sur- 
rounded, we slept securely and sweetly. 

The coot- refreshing nights of the desert seem to 
afford a compensation for the intolerably scorching heat 
of the day. As soon as the sun sets, the heat abates ; 
indeed, during the day, wherever the shadow of a rock 
offers a refuge from the sun's rays the heat is by no 
means unendurable, and many of the camel-drivers, 
leaving their camels to go on with the rest, often lag 
behind, and resort to such protection, " hiding them- 
selves in the clefts of the rocks," and making up for 



252 



CHAKACTERISTICS OF THE BEDOUIN. 



their delay by a rapid pace afterward. Many a time 
would we gladly have availed ourselves of such a 
retreat, but the incessant caution against straying from 
the caravan was not to be disregarded. 

The perfect cleanliness of our places of encampment 
was most agreeable. There were no flies, fleas, nor 
musquitoes, no appearance of animal life ; nothing to 
show that ever mortal had been there before. The 
very gravel had a clean look, as if it were just as it came 
from the hand of its Creator. With what a peculiar 
feeling of trust and composure might one lie down here 
and sleep. We saw no traces of encampments all 
through the desert. The extreme regard of the 
Bedouin for cleanliness leads him to bury the refuse of 
the table, and, indeed, every thing that may be offen- 
sive to the eye ; and thus it was, that but for the paths 
which betrayed the print of the camel's foot, we might 
have cheated ourselves into the belief that we were the 
first party of adventurers that had ever traversed the 
land. 

We had been informed of these, and other peculiar 
characteristics of this race, by our kind friend Mrs. L., 
previous to leaving Cairo, who assured us also, that we 
might feel certain of being treated with the greatest 
respect and delicacy by even the lowest of the tribe. 
We happily proved the truth of her assertions, and it 
was to the noble regard shown to the sanctity of our 
tents by these uncivilized men that we owed much of 
our comfort and real tranquillity. 



SYRIAN ARABS. 



253 



Afterwards, in Syria, we were doomed to experience 
an unfortunate contrast to all this. Not only was our 
camp-ground infested by insects of all sorts, but the 
ragged, dirty, debased-looking men, inspired us with a 
feeling quite opposed to the confidence we had had in 
the Bedouins. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



COME UPON THE TRACK OF THE ISRAELITES— AYOUN MOOSA — THE 

POOL OF MARAH WADY GHURUNDEL ELIM CHARACTER OF THE 

SCENERY TO WADY FEIRAN REPOSE AT WADY FEIRAN JOURNEY 

CONTINUED MT. SERBAL — CHANGE FROM THE MAHAFFA TO A 

CAMEL — AN ADVENTURE VISIT TO A BEDOUIN HAREM CAMEL 

RACE SHEIKH MOOSA CHARACTER AND DEPORTMENT OF THE 

WOMEN SINGING AND SOME EXTRAORDINARY MANIFESTATIONS 

OF REGARD. 

After leaving Suez, we knew ourselves to be on the 
track of the Israelites. We had never found a vestige 
of them in Egypt, excepting an abundance of crude 
brick, made with stubble, some of which bore the 
stamp of the Pharaoh who was their persecutor, and it 
required no great credulity to believe that they were 
really the work of their hands, since everybody knows 
that they are, at least, old enough to have been so. 

But after passing the Red Sea, the scene of that 
sublime miracle whose precise location is so much dis- 
puted, we come to certain landmarks, the very names 
of which fill one with memories of the stupendous train 



TRACK OF THE ISRAELITES. 



255 



of transactions of which this peninsula was, for forty 
years, the theatre. 

First comes Ayoun Moosa, (the well of Moses,) 
with its few date trees ; fifteen hours farther on is the 
Sir Howara, or the port of Marah, the bitter water, 
where "the people murmured against Moses, saying, 
what shall we drink?" If any one would know how 
to compassionate this " stiff-necked and rebellious peo- 
ple," let him writhe, groan, and resort to all sorts of 
expedients for alleviating the tortures of this arid 
climate ! 

What a scene of confusion and misery this uncon- 
trollable multitude of disappointed, disheartened, dis- 
mayed beings must have presented, when, after a day's 
pilgrimage over burning sands, the head and limbs 
scorched by the glowing sun, the tongue clinging to 
the roof of the parched mouth, they came at last to the 
aggravating, bitter water! "Moses cried unto the 
Lord." Who but He could have relieved their suffer- 
ings ? Here, and here only, can one realize the despair 
that might lead them, even with the miracle of the 
pillar of fire by night and the column of smoke by day, 
continually before their eyes, to forget the Lord, and 
to distrust His promises. 

About three hours from Marah we came into Wady 
Ghurundel. The small tamarisks and thorny acacias, 
scattered through the valley, dried up and brown, were 
scarcely a relief to the eye. This is supposed to be the 
Elim of Scripture, " where were twelve wells of water 



256 



T{fcACK OF THE ISRAELITES. 



and threescore and ten palm trees ; and they encamped 
there by the waters." 

Happy people ! and so did we ; but there are not 
now twelve wells — only two — and Burckhardt says, in 
relation to this matter, "The non-existence of twelve 
wells at Ghurundel must not be considered as evidence 
against the just-stated conjecture; for Niebuhr says 
that his companion obtained water here by digging to 
a very small depth, and there was a great plenty of it 
when I passed ; water, in fact, is found in every fertile 
valley in Arabia, and wells are thus easily formed, 
which are quickly filled up again by the sands." 

It requires no great effort of the imagination to 
fancy the tumultuous, rejoicing crowd, rushing to the 
waters at Elim, and one can scarcely suppose that much 
ceremony was used in the appropriation of the palm 
trees for shelter. 

Our wanderings from this spot to Wady Feiran, 
" the paradise of the Bedouins,?' were through valleys 
of indescribable grandeur and beauty, encompassed by 
rocky palisades rising high into the heavens, excluding 
every thing but the blue sky above. One moment the 
rocks were so black that one might fancy them to be 
the walls of Vulcan's grotto ; then we came to such a 
diversity of colors that it seemed as if every hue and tint 
of the rainbow were unfolded to our wondering and 
delighted eyes. Then the bright blue sea burst upon 
us most unexpectedly, and we gazed at it with longing 
eyes, and realized whence came the refreshing air that 



MOUNT SERBAL. 



257 



we had been breathing. We went over mountain 
passes, through the Written Valley^ or Wady Makat- 
teb ; Mount Serbal rose upon our view, tamarisks and 
acacias became greener and more numerous, and we 
encamped in Wady Feiran by the side of green pas- 
tures and little rivulets. This strip of verdure was 
doubly enchanting and welcome to us, as one of our 
party was very ill, and one or two days' rest became 
indispensable. We had much enjoyment in gathering 
flowers among the luxuriant grass and rushes, by those 
tiny rills more agreeable to our eyes than many a love- 
lier object. Nature was alive and gay with the darting 
of the dragon-fly, the hum of bees, and the incessant 
noise of a little insect resembling the locust. 

We studied Mount Serbal in all its aspects, and ex- 
plored the old ruins ; but having discovered venomous- 
looking spiders in our tents, whose familiarity by no 
means pleased us, we were glad to quit this location, 
with all its charms, our invalid being far enough re- 
stored to travel again in a sort of litter, placed between 
two donkeys. 

The next morning was one of memorable enjoyment. 
We passed out of the town through groves of luxuriant 
palms, such as we had never before seen. They had 
escaped the desecrating pruning-knife, and threw out 
their wild and graceful branches in rich and undisturbed 
profusion. As we proceeded, Mount Serbal stood out 
before us, invested with all the attractive hues of the 
atmosphere of the desert, and as we paced slowly along 



258 



ENCAMPMENT OF BEDOUINS. 



we drank in long and deep draughts of delight from 
this enchanting prospect. 

Here I was liberated from the confinement of the 
MahafFa, and the change from the racking of that prison 
to a lofty position on the back of the camel, where the 
privilege of turning and assuming any variety of atti- 
tudes might be enjoyed without endangering one's bal- 
ance, was a luxury not to be forgotten. 

We went only an hour or two beyond Wacly Feiran 
the first day, and on the second, after a two or three 
hours' ride, we descried a Bedouin encampment, not 
very far from our path. Sheikh Moosa, the principal 
chief of the Towara tribe of Bedouins, who possess the 
country between Mount Sinai and Cairo, came up to 
us, and requested us to do him the honor of visiting 
his encampment. After some debate, it was decided 
that we should make a little halt, and we turned off 
into the plain of tamarisks and other shrubs, in the 
midst of which were the tents of the harem. There we 
dismounted, pitched one of our tents, and soon received 
an invitation from the harem to visit them in theirs. 
This was an adventure that would have been worth 
seeking, and coming upon us unexpectedly, we were 
quite overcome with delight, and accepted the invita- 
tion at once. 

There were a number of tents standing in a line, of 
rude construction, formed by driving rough stakes into 
the ground, and stretching over them very coarse, 
striped cloth made of the hair of black and white 



BEDOUIN HAREM. 



259 



goats ; they were patched where there had been rents, 
and stuffed at crevices with any thing that was handy. 
We were ushered into one where we were received by 
three veiled women, whose handsome black eyes were 
the only part of the face visible. 

We were now in the very midst of pastoral life. 
Several goats lay snugly ensconced in one corner of the 
tent, and seemed loth to give up their peaceful home, 
which the proprietors, with an instinctive perception 
of our notions of comfort, compelled them to do. 
With great self-possession they motioned to us to be 
seated upon some woollen matting that was spread over 
a part of the ground, when a pantomime-entertain- 
ment commenced. We were not to be outdone in 
bows and manifestations of cordiality, but I must con- 
fess that the unrestrained curiosity with which we re- 
garded these daughters of the desert, the first and the 
last seen by us, was somewhat rebuked by the more del- 
icate and polite manner of our hostesses, who evinced 
no ill-bred surprise. Their eyes were large, hazel, 
and beautifully languishing ; perhaps the use of khole 
may have heightened their pensive expression. A 
veil of elastic black silk, bordered on each side by 
net-work of steel, covered the face below the eyes, 
being doubled beneath the chin. A band of the same 
passed round the head, with tassels of steel falling at 
the sides, and a decoration of gold pieces, about the 
size of sovereigns, suspended from the forehead, came 
to a point on the nose, outside of the veil. The neck 



260 



CAMEL-RACE. 



was covered with numerous strings of beads of various 
sorts and colors, and the arms, so well formed that they 
might have been the envy of many a proud dame, were 
ornamented with massive bracelets of amber and silver ; 
the fingers were loaded with rings of the latter, and 
the ankles were encircled "by heavy ornaments of the 
same. The dress was a petticoat of black worsted, or 
cotton, the back breadth of which was coarsely em- 
broidered in colors, and a loose robe of the same 
was thrown over the shoulders. 

Presently, there was a commotion outside. Our 
hostesses rushed to the side of the tent, and drew down 
a little of the covering from the top, just so as to make 
themselves in the slightest degree visible to those out- 
side, motioning to us to do the same. We now saw 
for what purpose we had been detained. There was 
a camel race. The conductors of our party joined in 
it, and had evidently been privy to its preparation. It 
was a wild and fearful spectacle. The camels, whom 
we had always before seen moving at their careful 
snail's-pace, flew by with incredible swiftness, the awk- 
ward and one-sided jostling movement, increased by 
the velocity, gave them a formidable appearance, and 
the wonder was how their riders could maintain a firm 
position, or come out of such a trial with soul and body 
together. 

Sheikh Moosa was certainly, as he had a right to be, 
the hero of the day. The plaudits of the harem, it may 
be supposed, had their animating effect. The women 



CAMEL-RACE. 



261 



cheered their lords as they passed, manifesting their 
approbation by a peculiar noise, which Lane says is 
" produced by a sharp utterance of the voice, accom- 
panied by a quick, tremulous motion of the tongue." 
All the women united in this expression of joy, and 
the sound was so loud and piercing as to be heard at a 
great distance. When the riders were out of sight, we 
were re-seated, and our courteous friends remained by 
us until the return of the racers, when there was 
another rushing to see and approve, ^and the same 
singular cries of joy. 

Finally, the exhibition of riding was at an end ; 
there was a bustling preparation in the tent, as if some- 
thing of importance were to follow. A tiny pocket- 
glass was passed from one to the other, each survey- 
ing herself in turn, and adjusting her dress as if pre- 
paratory to some critical inspection. The glass was 
offered to us, and they were surprised at our indiffer- 
ence in declining to use it. It was so long since we 
had had the privilege of making a toilette, that we were 
rather afraid to trust ourselves with a glance into a 
mirror. If we had done so, the sunburnt visages there 
reflected would have presented a humiliating contrast 
to the faces of our new friends, which, judging from 
the parts exposed, and the arms, were of a fresh, al- 
though perhaps not strictly fair complexion. 

We had an opportunity of studying these women 
long and carefully, and every moment increased the 
respect and wonder inspired by as true native gentle- 



262 



SHEIKH MOOSA. 



ness, propriety and courtesy, as ever graced a " marble 
hall." They were of a happy medium size, and might 
be called line matronly-looking women. 

The appearance of the Sheikh in the tent accounted 
for the adjustment of the dress ; indeed we had an- 
ticipated the visit, for when the glass was offered to us, 
it was accompanied by the word " Sheikh,' J significantly 
uttered. He had come to conduct us to another tent. 

Sheikh Moosa's appearance certainly entitled him 
to all the consideration in which he was evidently 
held by the ladies of the court. He was of a tall, good 
figure, and his apparent height was increased by a long 
narrow woollen robe, and the large white turban that 
surmounted his head. His face, with tolerably good 
features, had a refined and manly expression, his de- 
portment was easy, grave and dignified; and he 
escorted us with as much suavity as if he had been ac- 
customed to the refinement of civilized life. The con- 
trast between such urbanity of manner and his rude 
patriarchal dress, together with the pantomime which 
was the necessary consequence of our mutual ignorance 
of each other's language, made one feel that it was a 
sort of masquerade, and that our cicerone was in 
disguise. 

We were attended on the way to the tent by the 
three women, who were probably the wives, followed 
by many others, singing. The Sheikh left us at the 
door of the tent, which we found on our entrance to 
be much larger than the one we had left, and for that 



BEDOUIN WOMEN - . 



263 



reason, probably, we bad been taken to it, for it was 
no less rude and primitive tban the other. Here we 
were to have a kind of reception. There was room to 
see and be seen. 

The female slaves and attendants came in one after 
another, and free from the restraint of politeness and 
good-breeding which had marked their mistresses, they 
thought it no harm to stare, and as they saw that we 
looked very good-natured, and were ready to be pleased 
with every thing, they became quite fearless, and it 
was with some trouble that their superiors (who were 
ever on the alert to study our comfort) kept them from 
encroaching upon us. We were now sensible that this 
was not a unique race, free from the besetting sin of 
the sons of Adam. It was plain that among those on 
the outside there had been awakened a degree of 
curiosity to see the strangers that would not have been 
discreditable to a world-renowned Yankee. From the 
pains taken to fill up the chinks of the tent, there was 
no mistaking the fact that there was danger of intru- 
sive peepers from without. Now and then rags stuffed 
into crevices were suddenly and mysteriously removed, 
which kept those who were desirous of privacy con- 
tinually watchful. We enjoyed, exceedingly, the free- 
dom of these good-natured, pleased and simple beings ; 
and it is extraordinary how far the use of signs, with a 
very few words, will lead to a full understanding of 
character. 

The hilarity increased ; a group of women, squat- 



264 



GAIETY IN THE DESERT. 



ting on the ground, commenced shouting musical 
strains, bending the body backwards and forwards, as 
the Arabs always do when they sing. "While they were 
doing this with all their might, one, more wild than 
any of the others, came bounding in, and after scruti- 
nizing us sharply, joined the singers, and became the 
star of the company. She surpassed them all in zeal, 
piping up louder and faster than the others, moving her 
body with more celerity, and making rapid signs with 
her hands and eyes in a manner indescribably droll. 
We were nearly convulsed with laughter at her whim- 
sical performance, and she, taking courage from our 
approbation, rushed towards us, and throwing her arms 
round the neck of first one and then the other, em- 
braced us both, kissing each cheek, as is customary in 
the East. Be not shocked at this ebullition of nature, 
thou who hast always trodden the hackneyed, beaten 
paths of conventional life ! We escaped unsullied, and 
if the truth must be confessed, we had so far fallen 
from a proper self-respect, as to be rather delighted 
than displeased with the novelty of the thing. We 
came at last to the conclusion that this person, who had 
been allowed to transgress the bounds of propriety 
prescribed to the others, must be some favorite of the 
harem, who occupied somewhat the same position with 
them that a jester formerly did with a king. 

Coffee had been twice offered us, once on our en- 
trance, and again before leaving ; but there was none 
of the ceremony to which we had been accustomed 



PARTING FROM THE HAREM. 



265 



among the more luxurious Arabs and Turks. The small 
cups were brought in the hands of a man-servant, one 
piled upon another, without even the convenience of a 
tray. But the coffee, as everywhere in the East, was 
excellent. They appeared to have the custom of using 
sugar in it, for they broke up some, not very white, and 
put into our cups. 

At length the time came for us to take leave of this 
singular assembly, in which we had passed two most 
diverting hours. If not an oasis, this was certainly a 
bright, green spot in our journeyings, cheering and re- 
viving, and destined to bear a multitude of " forget-me- 
nots." 

12 



CHAPTER XXX. 

TENT-LIFE BY STAR-LIGHT LEAVE MOUNT SERBAL — PASS OP GEBEL 

OOTAIAH HOREB AND SINAI REFRESHING THUNDER-STORM AS- 
CENT OF SINAI— VIEW OF MOUNT CATHARINE — YISIT TO THE CON- 
VENT — PREPARATION FOR ASCENDING HOREB — CONVENT OF EL AR- 
BAIN — A NIGHT THERE — SUMMIT OF HOREB. 

So much of the day had passed away in these diver- 
sions, that we concluded to pass the night there, and 
the evening was as remarkable for its novelties as the 
day had been. 

The long line of Arab tents shone to great advan- 
tage by the uncertain, fitful light of the little fires that 
surrounded them ; for the Bedouins have the same cus- 
tom as the Arabs of Egypt of settling themselves for 
the evening round a fire made of fagots. I find recorded 
in my journal : " Brilliant, glittering, twinkling, as the 
stars usually are in this atmosphere, I have never seen 
them so sparkling, so dazzling, so like diamonds, as they 
are to-night. They seem absolutely to move, and I 
believe are really bewitched, as every thing is here. 
Think of having electric sparks and cracklings from 
woollen dresses where the thermometer ranges, during 



SCENERY IN THE DESERT. 



267 



the day, from 90° to 100° F., the same as on a frosty 
night in winter, and your hair snapping and bristling, 
so that it is nearly impossible to comb it ! " This con- 
dition of the atmosphere was what rendered the desert 
tolerable. I find often recorded in my journal, " Ther- 
mometer 100°, or 103°, or 106° F., and yet I have fre- 
quently suffered more from heat in the valleys of Ver- 
mont. The nights always cool and delicious, some- 
times chilly." 

On the morning of the 21st of May we left our en- 
campment, which was the seventh from Suez, and con- 
tinued through scenery of increased desolation. For 
an hour or two in the morning we had Mount Ser- 
bal behind us in all its grandeur, and then lost it, pass- 
ing among smaller hills, huge boulders, and hillocks of 
earth, that appear to have been left standing while all 
around was washed away. Then we came to a rocky 
defile, passing which, we had a view of an immense 
plain, which we parted from on our left, turning to the 
right through a pass where the mountains were on 
either side a thousand feet high, jagged, craggy, and 
peaked, so perfectly naked and veined that they seemed 
more the skeletons of mountains, having not only the 
backbone, but the ribs also. 

Sheikh Moosa accompanied us on our way this day. 
Indeed, we seemed to be in favor with the tribe, for we 
were accosted by other sheikhs, who solicited our com- 
pany to breakfast. But there was no more time to 
spare upon recreations of this sort. 



268 



MOUNT IIOEEB. 



A black, threatening cloud hung over us about the 
middle of the day, from which we had a few pattering 
drops of rain, and strong gusts of wind, that raised such 
heavy clouds of dust as to make us deem it prudent to 
encamp, which we did in Wady Sheikh, just before 
reaching the grand pass of Gebel Ootaiah. 

We were off again at our usual hour, the next morn- 
ing, and, passing the defile inclosed by precipitous rocks, 
seeming to vie with each other in grandeur, towering 
like gigantic bulwarks, and approaching so near the 
valley, that from a distance one might be deluded with 
the idea that the pass might be guarded by a sentinel, 
we descried far in the distance, in a gorge or narrow 
valley, the convent of Mount Sinai. Leaving the path 
leading to it on our left, we passed on by Arab huts, 
and pitched our tents in the broad plain, directly at the 
foot of Mount Horeb. 

Every one may imagine the overwhelming feeling 
of reverence that a first view of this mountain would 
produce. We had actually come to that sacred mount, 
so hallowed by the presence of God Himself, that, " if 
so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be 
stoned or thrust through with a dart ; and so terrible 
was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and 
quake." But how changed the scene ! Sublime, awful, 
as it truly is, we gaze at it without fear ; for although 
we do not forget the terror with which it was once in- 
vested, " we know in Whom we believe." 

We turn from this scene of grandeur, that cluster 



THUNDER-SHOWER AT MOUNT SINAI. 269 

of lofty mountain peaks, and find relief in the sight of a 
beautiful green bank on the other side of us, covered 
with bright orange-colored blossoms. We clamber up 
the hill and behold from it, not only the picturesque 
group of camels, and tents, and motley Arabs, but the 
plain alive with gaily dressed soldiers, who have been 
placed here for the security of the inhabitants, and who 
are just now performing sundry evolutions, accompa- 
nied by the tattoo of the drum. 

The enjoyment of this delicious ramble, in quest of 
flowers, is greatly heightened by the obscurity of the 
sun. A dark cloud is gathering, the atmosphere be- 
comes sultry and oppressive; can it be that we are 
really to have the peculiar advantage of a thunder-storm 
here ? The distant roll of thunder confirms our hopes. 
Vivid flashes of lightning warn us to return to our 
tents. All hands are busy in endeavoring to make 
them as secure as possible. Special pains are taken 

with the one occupied by Mrs. , who lies in her 

bed, the subject of a burning fever. Every one dreads 
the consequences to her of such an exposure. The 
storm approaches, brilliant flashes of lightning pene- 
trate the thin covering of our tent. Loud peals of 
thunder reverberate among the mountains. The rain 
pours down upon our frail, imperfect shelter, and gusts 
of wind threaten to tear up the poles that secure it. 
All is anxiety for our poor invalid, and all but herselt 
regret not having gone to the convent. She has a con- 
sciousness of returning life, and rejoices in the freshen- 



270 



ASCENT OF MOUNT SINAI, 



ing influences of a moistened and purified atmosphere. 
And well might she be confident in the restoring effects 
of the rain, by which the tent was saturated ; for, after 
a night's repose in this hydropathic condition she arose 
a new being, and with strength enough to bear the fa- 
tigue of being carried in a day or two to the top of 
Mount Horeb. 

We ascended the peak of Sinai proper by the long 
steps that lead to it, which we found far more fatiguing 
than the ordinary mode of climbing mountains. We 
drank from a spring of delicious, pure cold water, when, 
perhaps, a third of the way up, and when considerably 
more than half way, we were on what is called the plain 
of Horeb, from which diverge the peaks of Horeb and 
Sinai. There is a chapel on the plain, which we did 
not enter. The Arabs believe this to be the top of Ho- 
reb, or the place from which the law was given. 

Miss B. and myself took it very leisurely, making 
our guides render us all possible service, and were three 
hours in reaching the top. We had enjoyed the gran- 
deur of the scenery as beheld from every point during 
our ascent, but when we gained the summit we had a 
view of indescribable sublimity — looking down upon 
and over huge rocks, jagged mountains, deep ravines- 
Mount Serbal rising in the distance, clothed in purple, 
and beyond it other mountains fading into pale, almost 
invisible blue. In another direction is Akaba, the white 
sandy desert lying between us and it, and very conspic- 
uous amidst the mountain ranges. We looked in vain 



\ 

COOTENT OF MOUNT SINAI. 271 



for the sea, which is said to be visible on a clear day. 
It was too hazy. 

On the summit of Sinai is a shabby apology for a 
Greek chapel, and a much neater, prettier mosque. De- 
scending a few steps below the mosque, one looks down 
into a deep ravine, out of which rises the stupendous 
Mount Catharine. Having feasted our eyes in every di- 
rection, we seated ourselves on stone benches in front 
of the chapel, and partook of most acceptable refresh- 
ments furnished us by the monks of the convent. We 
were accompanied on this excursion by one of the or- 
der, a pale, interesting young man, whose refined man- 
ners and intellectual face, beaming with cheerfulness, 
made us wish him a higher destiny. 

"We returned by a less precipitous but longer route. 
The next day was Sunday, and as we had been informed 
that mass at the convent was peculiarly interesting, we 
rose at an early hour, and made a great effort to drag 
our weary limbs to the place, which was a mile or two 
from our encampment. We were disappointed, when 
nearly there, to meet a priest coming towards us with 
the information that it was all over. We, however, rec- 
onciled ourselves to the loss, explored the convent, saw 
a little of the brotherhood, and visited the chapel. 

We were presented with cordial and coffee before 
entering the main chapel, which is, at first sight, strik- 
ing and pretty, but on examination proves to be ex- 
tremely tawdry. It is crowded with small, ordinary 



272 



CONVENT OF MOUNT SINAI. 



gilded pictures ; the large tapers are gaily painted and 
varnished; in short, every thing is in bad taste, and 
harmonizes little with the tone of solemnity and grandeur 
that pervades all without. We were shown, also, into 
the sacred chapel, built over the spot where the burn- 
ing bush grew. Men were requested to take off their 
boots before entering, but women were permitted to 
enter with theirs on. There is about the altar a great 
deal of filligree work; The place where the bush grew 
is covered with a silver plate. What is stranger than 
all, they affirm that the bona fide bush is growing in 
another place, which was not shown us because we did 
not manifest a desire to see it. We saw many invalids 
walking about in the corridors of the hospital, and more 
wretched, loathsome-looking objects we never beheld. 
In justice, however, to the monks, we ought to say, 
that every thing was clean and in good order ; what we 
should have been most disposed to complain of was a 
want of proper ventilation. Without in the least un- 
dervaluing this institution, which affords a shelter to 
the weary pilgrim, and a hospital and home to such as 
are sick and impoverished, we preferred the fresh air 
and comforts of our tent, and did not regret our devi- 
ation from the usual custom of lodging at the monas- 
tery. 

After a day of repose, we made preparations to as- 
cend Mount Horeb, whither my friend was to be carried 
in a palanquin. To diminish the fatigue as much as 
possible, we went to the convent of El Arbain, situated 



CONVENT OF EL ARBAIN. 



273 



near the foot of the mountain, on the side we were to 
climb, and passed the night there. 

The walk of about three miles was fatiguing, but 
we enjoyed highly the magnificent scenery of the Wady 
El Arbain. The lofty Horeb lay upon our left, and on 
our right rose the stupendous St. Catharine. The peas- 
ants who cultivate the well-water ed little valley, have 
made the most of it, and the gardens, of which there 
are three, are refreshing in the midst of so much ste- 
rility. They were filled with pomegranates, figs, olives, 
naphels, and other trees bearing fruits and flowers. 
My guide for this excursion was a young Bedouin, who 
reached about to my shoulders, but I found him ex- 
tremely serviceable in passing me over the boulders and 
other rocks that frequently blocked up the way. 

The forsaken convent of El Arbain, which signifies 
forty, receives its name, as is said, from the fact that 
forty monks were massacred there in the fourth century 
by the Saracens ; others say, by the Bedouins. Which- 
ever way it may be, it is not probable that the present 
convent was built at the time of the Saracenic invasion, 
nor could forty monks have been very comfortably 
quartered in so small a place. 

After reposing a while under the olive trees that 
surround the old convent, we entered this reputed the- 
atre of the massacre of the forty martyrs to survey the 
premises where we were to pass the night. It was un- 
occupied, dusty, musty, and forlorn. We mounted 
some steps leading to dingy, narrow cells, formerly 
12* 



274 



A NIGHT AT EL AKBAIN. 



used by the monks, and regarded with curiosity the 
piece of sounding wood that had served them for a 
bell. Then we investigated the dungeon-like room on 
the floor below, where the victims had been slain, and 
were shown spots of blood, which, notoriously, before 
and since Lady Macbeth's day, never could be wiped 
out. This was to be the bedroom of some of our party 
— a rather uncanny place, certainly, but then fourteen 
or fifteen centuries had elapsed since the horrid trans- 
action, and that is longer than ghosts are supposed to 
wander. 

Adjoining the above was a small court, or rather 
room, without roof, and with the earth for a floor, 
where Mohammed made a fire, boiled our tea-kettle, 
and in the morning prepared certain creature-comforts 
to strengthen us for the day's battle. Others of our 
party chose this room as their resting-place, for there 
was no alternative, except to mount the stairs and oc- 
cupy one of the cells, and we shrank at the thought of 
being so far from our friends. 

Our cooking apparatus, beds, table, and the requi- 
site furniture therefor, had been sent out to us, and 
after a refreshing cup of tea, preparations were made 
for a night's repose. Slumber was not to be won, how- 
ever assiduously wooed. For a long time the flickering 
fire, casting a lurid light upon our turbaned servants, 
who were gliding noiselessly about, was more than suf- 
ficient to produce nervous excitement. Then there 



ASCENT OF MOUNT HOKEB. 



275 



was the additional annoyance of flies or gnats, from 
which we sought in vain to protect ourselves. 

We were stirring at an early hour ; the work of the 
day was formidable, and time must be taken by the 

forelock. Mrs. , with a bevy of men, led off, and 

the others straggled along after. The air was exhilarat- 
ing ; the prospect increased in grandeur. "We turned 
from time to time to view the mountain of St. Catha- 
rine, where we could occasionally descry, high up, goat- 
herds and goats, although the green herbs by which 
they must have been allured were not visible. 

At length we came to an arch that spans the way, 
called El Ledja (the gate). This is one of the shows, and 
our guides did not let us forget the necessity there was 
of looking through it. The scenery was effective, as it 
always is when viewed through an arch : picturesque, 
but less sublime as the range of almost chaotic wild- 
ness, over which the eye wandered at large, became 
limited. 

When we arrived at the small plain which unites 
Mount Horeb with Mount Sinai, and where we had 
rested on our ascent of the latter, and which is known 
as the locality of the " convent of St. Elias and the tall 
cypress tree," in common with all pilgrims we took a 
long rest, and were resuscitated by coffee and cordial, 
given us in generous quantities by the young monk 
who had attended us on our previous excursion. He 
was kind and assiduous in his endeavors to mitigate the 
severity of our toil, and we must confess, at the risk of 



276 



SUMMIT OF MOUNT HOEEB. 



shocking all disciples of temperance, that without the 
potations of coffee and arrack cordial, from time to time 
prepared for us by him, our exhausted frames would 
never have reached the summit of Mount Horeb. 

Our ascent thus far was by a path of stone steps, less 
high and less fatiguing than those on the other side. 
We continued on from here by artificial steps, some- 
times ascending, sometimes descending, until we came 
to a little vale, where was an unoccupied hermitage, by 
the side of which grew a willow, as fresh and green as 
if it were by the side of one of our own brooks. It was 
indebted for its life and freshness to a spring of excel- 
lent water near by. This little willow, which is called, 
in Arabic, Souf Saffa, shares its name with the mountain. 
From this point the severity of our climbing increased, 
although I think the difficulty is generally overrated by 
travellers. 

On looking around us, after reaching the summit, 
we could not doubt that this was the point from which 

MP 

the law was given — a place, one would say, that might 
have been created for such a purpose. The peak of an 
isolated, rocky, barren mountain, overtopping a preci- 
pice of many thousand feet in height, and overhanging 
a valley of considerable extent, so situated that nothing 
could intercept the view of the multitude from beneath, 
it seems strikingly chosen to be the theatre of the awful 
display recorded by Moses. 

After remaining long to indulge in the reflections 
naturally suggested, and to enjoy and impress upon our 



DESCENT OP MOUNT HOREB. 



277 



memories the extraordinary prospect before us, we re- 
turned to the plain of the cypress, where we took 
another long repose, and then commenced our descent 
by a gorge, on the side opposite to the one by which 
we had gone up, chosen because the way is shorter. 
When we left the plain I had preceded the rest of our 
party, with my little guide, and as I came to the scene 
of desolation presented by this bed of a torrent, where 
boulders lie one upon another in frightfully insecure 
confusion, I felt the impracticability of taking my friend 
in her litter over a pass where each stone, poised upon 
another, requires only to have the balance disturbed to 
be sent rolling down headlong. But while I was 
making my way along with the aid of the boy, who 
threaded his course with great dexterity among the 
tottering rocks, encouraging my more timid steps, I 
heard a rattling of stones behind me, and far back, be- 
held tbe party of men who were carrying Mrs. . 

She was swung high between them in her palanquin, 
while pioneers were carefully reconnoitering to find the 
safest places, and trundling down stones that were in 
the way. The sight was painful, and I scarcely haz- 
arded another look. Great was the thankfulness of our 
little party that evening for the success of the day's 
enterprise. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



FAREWELL TO THE MOUNTAINS AND CONVENTS — SOLITARY MORNING 

WALKS — WADY SAAL WADY EL AIN WADY WATIRE PASS OF NE- 

GABAD — THE PATRIARCH CAMEL GULF OF AKABA MAGNIFICENT 

YIEW ACROSS IT — TRAMP ALONG ITS COAST TOWN OF AKABA — 

FREE TRADE IN SHELLS — NEW GUIDES AND CAMELS — A SIMOON 

MOUNT HOR — WILD ENTRANCE THROUGH THE ROCKY PASSES INTO 
PETRA ASCENT OF MOUNT HOR. 

On the morning of the 27th we bade adieu to the 
mountains, convents, and the Wady where we had en- 
camped, and retracing about an hour of our former travel 
through "Wady Sheikh, we entered upon Wady Suer, 
where, after watering camels, we kept on a little way 
through a wide, interesting valley, dotted with tufts of 
green herbs, when we came into the narrow winding 
Wady Saal. The air was fresh and exhilarating, and the 
journey of seven and a half hours which we made that 
day was not fatiguing. 

I had been provided with a slender, pretty camel, 
if one may apply that term to an animal usually deemed 
so ugly. The gait, when going at rather a rapid pace, 
was agreeable, and from that time I was much in the 
habit of preceding the caravan, and waiting for it to 



MORNING WALKS. 



279 



come up. I was always inclined to disregard the warn- 
ings of danger that were uttered from day to day, and 
scarcely know how to account for the perfect security 
I always felt. With the same confidence, I was in the 
habit of setting off alone and on foot, in the morning, 
before the caravan was ready. Those early walks, 
through pebbled and gravelly wadys, while the air 
was yet fresh and cool, were highly exhilarating. So 
elastic was the atmosphere, that one felt rather like 
bounding than walking. I recollect one of my first 
morning walks was five hours long, and then it was with 
reluctance I mounted my camel, and did so only at the 
earnest request of my friends, who feared the conse- 
quences. It was not prudent to go too far in advance, 
and while seated upon some rock it was a pleasure to 
see the camels come straggling on, faint in the distance, 
but approaching surely and steadily, with a solemn, dig- 
nified pace ; and then the walk might be continued by 
the side of the caravan. 

We continued three hours in Wady Saal, which 
widened into a large plain. Through openings in the 
surrounding mountains we caught a view of distant hills, 
singularly streaked with red or brown rocks and white 
sand. Then we wound our way up and down rocks, 
ploughed through valleys of sand, passed over sand- 
stone of every shade of rose, purple, brown, yellow, and 
white, beautifully striped, and at last turning a corner 
and passing through a narrow ravine of deep sand, a 
widely extended view of blue hills opened upon us, 



280 



WADY EL AIN. 



while in every direction near us rose isolated hills of 
limestone of every imaginable form. Never had time, 
wind, and water played such pranks. The sand was 
drifted upon the rocks, scarcely leaving room for a 
passage through them, and the roaring of the wind in- 
creased the wildness of the scene. 

The next day, (I quote from my journal,) left at 
five — walked on through wavy-drifted sand, sometimes 
hard, sometimes sinking — wind blowing — cool enough 
for a blanket-shawl — sand-stone rocks in every direc- 
tion, appearing as if washed by torrents to the very top, 
open upon a range of dark-purple mountains, among 
which we soon entered, and after four or five hours, 
turning suddenly to the left, we came upon scenery sub- 
lime beyond description. A pass winding among preci- 
pices, of which some are two thousand feet high, fanci- 
fully variegated in colors, red, black, green, brown, occa- 
sionally a bright green plant showing itself in charming 
contrast with the purple porphyry. Descending grad- 
ually but constantly, Wady El Ain burst upon us with 
its two or three palms, and green, shrubby tamarisks. 
This valley, a* little wide at the commencement, soon nar- 
rows into a gorge, where are most of the springs from 
which it derives its name. 

For some reason, our men did not wish the camels 
to drink until they reached the source of the water that 
was rippling along in the road, and the patience and 
self-denial of these poor creatures, who had not had wa- 
ter for nearly three days, was truly astonishing, as they 



PASS OF NEGABAD. 



281 



slowly marched through it, and waited their turn to 
drink. 

The "Wady El Ain is justly celebrated for its awful 
grandeur. One is almost oppressed and breathless in 
the midst of mountains of shining purple porphyry, ris- 
ing to such a majestic height as to leave only a narrow 
strip of blue sky visible. The sensation produced by 
such sublimity is at length relieved by an entrance into 
the Wady Watire, where a few green shrubs and a wider 
expanse of the heavens are most acceptable to the sight. 

We made the famous pass of Negabad with less dif- 
ficulty than we had anticipated. Mrs. and Miss 

B., who chanced to be in the mahaffa that day, kept in 
it until they reached a narrow defile where the rocks 
projected too far to give room for the mahaffa to pass 
upright, when they were obliged to alight. It would 
have been fearful to see the mahaffa, with its precious 
inmates, high on the camel, turning and twisting with 
the gyrations of the animal as he sought his way among 
the bold rocks along the precipice, if we had not had 
implicit confidence in his long-tried caution and fidelity. 
It was wonderful with what dexterity he found the best 
paths, and how carefully he put down each foot, as if 
conscious of the trust committed to him, never making 
a blunder or false step. He was truly a noble creature 
— the patriarch of the caravan. He seemed to feel the 
dignity of his paternal rank, and so social was his na- 
ture he was never contented unless surrounded by his 
companions, or at least, unless they were where he 



282 



GULF OF AKABA. 



could have his eye upon them. If, by chance, he got 
far in advance, he used to set up a piteous moan, so full 
of yearnings after companionship that compassion led 
one to check his progress. Indeed, he did not always 
wait for that, for sometimes he would stop of himself, 
and turn round his head with a fatherly air, continuing 
the moan as if pleading for them to quicken their pace. 

I always regarded this faithful animal with a feel- 
ing of grateful attachment, and, when taking my walks 
by his side, used to delight to feed him with the suc- 
culent herbs that were scattered about, of which he 
was very fond. He received them with dignified com- 
posure and a patronizing air that was very comical. 
It is no wonder that the Arab becomes so fond of his 
camel, for really the instinct of the creature is so fine 
that it almost amounts to something higher ; and not- 
withstanding the grumbling with which he invariably 
receives his burden, when it is once deposited, and he 
rises from his kneeling posture, he trudges on, uncom- 
plaining and patient. 

We caught the first glimpse of the Gulf of Akaba 
through an opening among rocks, late in the afternoon. 
Soon after, we came upon some beautiful and unique 
scenery, and I do not know how to compare the translu- 
cent water, in all its varied hues, but to a region of 
precious gems, — sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst, — 
which seemed sparkling there in endless profusion. 
The opposite side of the sea was skirted by the low 
line of red Arabian hills ; to the left lay the far dis- 



COAST OF AKABA. 



283 



tant, scarcely perceptible, town of Akaba, and the 
rocky, romantic little island of Koreye, or Graia, 
crowned with the pinnacles of an old castle, the bay 
sweeping round towards it in a graceful curve. Over 
the whole scene was cast a delicate, ethereal veil of the 
softest hues, as if to heighten the charms that nature 
displayed there. 

We continued our march beneath the dark, craggy 
palisades and promontories on our left, which contrasted 
solemnly with the dazzling beauty on the other side of us ; 
gazing into the crystal deep, where fish of golden, green, 
and purple hues were sporting, and where naiads might 
have held their revels ; trampling on the endless vari- 
ety of large beautiful shells that paved our way, until 
the island of Graia became distinctly visible — its dilap- 
idated fortress enthroned and wrapt in heavenly tints, 
as if it had stood there from time immemorial, a fit 
residence for guardian spirits who might preside over 
such mines of loveliness. A little beyond lay the town 
of Akaba, with its pretty groves of palms, inviting us 
to shelter ourselves beneath them. As we drank in the 
transporting effects of such unrivalled beauty, during 
the two days of our travel on the coast, we felt as if 
the enjoyment of those days alone would compensate 
for all the fatigue that we had endured in reaching it. 

We were not allowed, on our arrival in the town, 
(which occupies the ancient site of Ezion Geber,) to 
pitch our tents, as we had hoped to do, under the 
palms ; but for security's sake, or some whim of the 



284 



AKABA. 



people, we were doomed to a disagreeable, dirty sta- 
tion in the burning sands. However, it mattered not 
much, for we passed most of the time during the two 
days that we were detained there in either exploring 
the old fortress, or walking beneath the line of palms 
on the coast, or, in what was our chief diversion, pad- 
dling like children in the limpid water, and picking up 
shells. I remember one day we passed many hours 
standing in the water searching for them, and it was 
a luxury that no one can comprehend who has not 
passed through the burning desert. We were objects 
of great curiosity to the half naked and dirty children, 
who, becoming familiar, joined us in our occupation ; 
and we finally commenced a traffic with them in shells, 
and brought away a great number of small ones, that 
have been tastefully wreathed into flowers by a friend, 
and form a frame which encircles some grasses gath- 
ered at Mount Sinai. 

We had been conducted thus far by the Towara 
tribe of Bedouins, which we were here to exchange for 
the Alloweens, who are the tribe of which old Hos- 
eyn was the chief. We were to have another set of 
camels and of men. It was for the former, who were 
pastured at a day's distance, that we had been detained 
at Akaba, and we were not a little impatient to see the 
animals which were to be furnished us by Hoseyn. 

At length, they made their appearance towards the 
close of the second day. It was a wild-looking caval- 
cade ; each camel mounted by a son of Ishmael, equip- 



WADY EL ARAB A. 285 

ped with a gun and spear, and far better and more 
gaudily arrayed than the more humble TWaras. The 
sight of these ferocious-looking men, of whose cupidity 
we had heard so much, occasioned the first misgivings 
that we had experienced. We consoled ourselves, 
however, with the reflection that they were responsible 
to higher powers, and that the old Sheikh would have 
too much regard to his treaty with the Pacha of Egypt 
to be guilty of any treachery. The camels were in fine 
condition ; it only remained to be seen whether they 
would be kept so. 

On the morning of the 3d of June we left Akaba, 
and soon after our entrance upon the broad Wady El 
Araba, we perceived far ahead of us a heavy cloud, 
which was unmistakable sand, and it was plain enough 
we were to encounter a Jchamsine. We had been twice 
before subjected to the inconvenience of these scorch- 
ing blasts ; but then they had come upon us without 
warning. Once, when dining under the shade of the 
trees of the consul's garden near Suez, our dinner had 
been unseasonably seasoned with it ; but now we were 
deliberately and slowly marching up to the enemy, and 
at the expiration of an hour or two we came upon him. 

We had learned to protect our skin from the irrita- 
tion of the burning sand, to which it was exposed dur- 
ing these winds, by enveloping our faces in the cushack, 
(a mantle of thick muslin,) and thus shielded, we found 
these blasts more endurable ; indeed, on this occasion 



286 WADY EL AHABA. 

I felt them to be much, more tolerable than the previous 
suffocating atmosphere. 

We had, while in this desolate valley, where there 
is nothing to interest the eye, ample time to dwell upon 
the miseries of that people who, frustrated in their at- 
tempts to make the desired entrance into the promised 
land, were turned back to compass Edom. How many 
must have perished here ! Indeed, one may fancy the 
whole of this valley to be a vast mausoleum, over which 
the sands of the desert have blown for ages. 

The next day was fresh and cool, and (according to 
my journal) the valley becomes much more interesting, 
diversified by tracts of different colored sand, some- 
times flesh color, then yellow, again gray, sometimes 
purple ; is more thickly covered with shrubs, the low 
tamarisks becoming more luxuriant, their branches and 
leaves longer, drooping like the willow. The moun- 
tains on either side present a variety of colors, which, 
in this atmosphere, renders them enchanting. Shades 
of dark purple and brown, in the midst of pale green- 
ish yellow and white, with tints of delicate lilac ; the 
general effect exquisitely beautiful. We never cease to 
gaze with admiration on these seeming lights and 
shadows, which appear almost magical. 

On this day, or the next, we were delighted by the 
sight of clumps of oleanders, to which we turned our 
camels, full of but one idea, that of securing as many of 
the beautiful blossoms as we could bear away. This very 
simple and reasonable action was unexpectedly vetoed 



PASS TO PETKA. 



287 



by those who had us in charge. Our movement was ar- 
rested, and we were made to understand that the plant 
was poisonous to the camels, who nevertheless, if al- 
lowed to approach near enough, would eat of it. So 
we held our noble animal in check at a proper distance, 
while our arms were profusely loaded by our guides. 

On the 5th we came in sight of Mount Hor, and 
several other mountains, where the combination of col- 
ors, green, yellow, purple, blended by the distance, was 
similar to that of the scenery just described. The fol- 
lowing day we crossed the mountain that lay between 
us and Petra. "We were encircled by towering cliffs, of 
every possible color, and veined in every variety of man- 
ner. Indeed it seemed as if nature had exerted her ut- 
most to produce a fantasia of rocks. The path, by 
which we were to mount, was wholly concealed from 
us, arid it was difficult to guess where would be the 
outlet of this embattled chaos. 

Slowly and solemnly the march went on, the camels, 
finding, as they always do, the most available passes, 
tugging up, up ; turning sharp angles, first the head 
and long neck might be seen stretching itself through 
an aperture, then comes the whole body — now laden 
with casks of water, slung on either side, swinging 
at a rate that one wonders what sort of ribs can 
stand such polts, — now bearing trunks and boxes, 
rocked and tossed, the contents fearfully endangered ; 
— here and there come grotesque human figures, fantas- 
tically arrayed, vibrating to and fro like a pendulum, 



288 



PASS TO PETE A. 



or rather backward and forward and from one side to 
the other, as certain persons beat time in music ; — round 
and round they all wind, until they are seen in inde- 
scribable confusion as one looks back upon them from 
the height above. 

At the summit of the hill, we enjoyed a view of vast 
extent and grandeur. We stood upon what seemed 
an artificial rampart, looking down upon the plain of 
El Araba at our feet, stretching our eyes over moun- 
tains that, from the height where we were, and in the 
distance, looked like hills rising up in a valley of deso- 
lation. It was seen at a moment when the light threw 
a veiling over it of soft, shadowy hues, and more than 
any scene I have witnessed, proved to us how much a 
landscape is indebted to atmospheric decorations for its 
highest charms. We afterwards passed the same spot 
on leaving Petra, but so changed without the borrowed 
lustre in which we first beheld it, that we scarcely recog- 
nized the prospect. 

We now came, on the other side, to a gorge, a 
chasm of frightful depth, where the rocks appeared as 
if they had been rent by some terrible convulsion. 
Far below, in the bed of the channel, where a small 
stream of water was rushing down from the mountain- 
springs, were oleanders, and other bright flowers, which 
were invested with tenfold attractions by the impossi- 
bility of obtaining them. We continued to descend 
rapidly over a rocky path, each one looking eagerly for 
the first landmark that should tell us of our near ap- 



PETE A. 



289 



proach to the city of tombs. At length we came to 
rude but unmistakable evidences. A little farther, and 
every heart beat with emotions of delight, as we beheld 
the wild and romantic eyrie of Esau and his descend- 
ants. But this singular place of grottoes and tombs 
has been so faithfully described, and is so well known 
from the graphic pen of Stevens and others, that there 
is nothing new for me to say of it. The impression 
made upon the mind by their pictures of so unique a 
spot is not likely to be effaced, and a repetition would 
have all the tediousness of a twice-told tale. It is 
scarcely necessary even to say, that we found no de- 
scription had done justice to the irregular, wild, and 
fanciful combinations of nature and art. 

The contest between the Arabs which it is the lot 
of every traveller to experience, and which we had 
happily so far escaped, came off here. The savage- 
looking fellows, who claim a tribute for the privilege of 
seeing their Hons, had lurked about all one day. At 
the approach of evening the assembly commenced its 
session. Squatted on the ground around a fire of fag- 
ots, they smoked their pipes and wrangled. Shrill 
voices became louder and more piercing, until they 
reached a pitch of frenzy. After a whole night passed 
in this way, one expected to find the field covered 
with slain the next morning. But it was only a battle 
of words, and we were glad not to have been annoyed 
by the recurrence of a similar scene. 

We considered ourselves very fortunate to have 
13 



290 



MOUNT HOB. 



escaped the perplexity and trials of many of our pre- 
decessors, some of whom, we knew, had been defeated 
in their enterprise when just upon the borders of the 
promised land. 

On the 9th of June, retracing our steps up the 
rocky pass by which we had entered Petra, we turned 
to the right, and encamped at the foot of the mount 
that is venerated as the burial-place of Aaron. Noth- 
ing seems stranger than that Mussulmans, who are re- 
garded as infidels, should hold in such sacred reverence 
the tombs of God's chosen people, and that they should 
have to be entreated for permission to visit these 
. sanctuaries. 

The ascent of Mount Hor is by no means difficult ; 
we made it in fifty minutes ; yet there is little to recom- 
pense one, except the gratification of standing on a 
spot so remarkably consecrated. We were, disappoint- 
ed in the view, about which we had read so much, and 
which we thought far inferior in extent and grandeur 
to the one of the same general character from Mount 
Sinai, and also to one we had highly enjoyed a few 
days previous from an adjoining mountain. 

The burial-place is truly sublime, — above the world 
and apart from it, with the everlasting hill for a monu- 
ment. What presumptuous desecration to erect upon 
the spot the little temple that covers it, — the paltry, 
perishable work of man ! I had scarcely patience to 
enter it and listen to the oft-told tales of superstition, 



TOMB OF AAEON. 



291 



which interrupt the solitary enjoyment that one ex- 
pects here. 

There are remains which prove that much labor and 
care have been bestowed upon the tomb, which is now 
a dingy, mutilated vestige of early architecture. We 
found small portions of a ruined mosaic pavement. In the 
crypt below, where they suppose the body of Aaron to 
have been deposited, is a small niche in which were 
lamps, and a larger recess where were also lamps, not 
burning. This recess, which is supposed to contain the 
hallowed body, was enclosed by a rusty iron grate. In 
the room above is a round polished black stone, or 
piece of glass, inserted in the wall, about which is a 
great deal of mystery, and which appears to be a very 
sacred object. 

Upon the whole side of the hill, once terraced, are 
scattered fragments of polished marble, which show it 
to have been the site of other buildings, and near the 
foot are remains of what was, doubtless, a reservoir. 

We thought of poor Burcbhardt sacrificing his lean 
goat on the plain at the other side, and then being 
compelled to hasten on without going up. Yet he 
seemed to have formed a very just notion of the real 
condition of the place. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



WADY EL ARAB A AGAIN- — TOWARD THE LAND OP PROMISE BY MOUNT 

SEIR THE CAMEL-STEALER PASS OF TUFA TAKE LEAYE OF THE 

DESERT HEBRON TEDIOUS AND RIDICULOUS QUARANTINE — OUR 

FOURTH YARIETY OF TRAVELLING HORSES AND MULES — RO- 
MANCE OF TRAYEL ENDED. 

We were now on our way again, with our faces set 
towards the Land of Promise. We returned to the 
Wady el Araba, and proceeded on, skirting Mount 
Seir, always having before our eyes the disheartened, 
impatient multitude who had trod these paths before 
us, and comparing our own quiet, peaceable journey 
with theirs. Indeed, it was scarcely necessary to cast 
our eyes so far back to find sources of comparison that 
might fill our hearts with thankfulness for the privilege 
of unmolested progress. 

We were now reminded from time to time, by 
what seemed to me a sort of by-play, of certain ticklish 
adventures of other travellers with adverse tribes. As 
we were passing among isolated, abrupt hills, we were, 
every now and then, surprised by the sudden appear- 



COUNTERFEIT ALAEM. 



293 



ance of one of our chiefs, mounted on his camel, his 
spear poised in the air, rushing with incredible swift- 
ness up one of these acclivities, perched upon which he 
seemed to look long and far down into empty space, as 
if his object were to call up spirits more to be dreaded 
than himself. Then, with extraordinary celerity and 
dexterity in maintaining his position, down he would 
plunge ; but it was always to witness undisturbed com- 
posure and tranquillity on the faces of his incredulous 
giaours. I could never help feeling that these things 
were always gotten up as a sort of ruse to try of what 
mettle we were made, and the more they mysteriously 
whispered of danger the less inclined I felt to be duped 
by them. One day in particular, when I was quite 
disposed to jog on in advance and enjoy in solitude the 
agreeable pace of my camel, a young sheikh, who had 
joined our party near Petra, came galloping after me, 
and by violent gesticulation and certain cannibal-grim- 
aces, which I disregarded, and pretended not to under- 
stand, he intimated that there was great danger in 
leaving the rest of the party. He seemed to get out 
of patience with my stolidity, and, as a last resource, 
drew his hand from ear to ear, across his throat, abso- 
lutely looking daggers. Finding it was all of no avail, 
as I trotted on, he went back for Soter to lay before 
me the whole matter in intelligible language, to which 
he endeavored to give efficacy by vehement signs of 
consternation. " Why," said I, " nobody supposes we 
have wealth ; there can be no danger." " Ah," he re- 



294 



PASS OF SUFA. 



plied, " the camel ; it is that they want, and they would 
not hesitate to kill you for it." The rogue, as we after- 
wards learned, was himself an adept in the art of camel- 
stealing. He suddenly took leave of us before we got 
to Hebron, and when we arrived at that place we heard 
that there was good reason for his doing so, since, if he . 
were seen there, he would certainly be arrested for 
having stolen a camel from some party not long before. 

The pass of Sufa, by which the Israelites are sup- 
posed to have first attempted to enter Palestine, was 
ascended with a good deal of fatigue. The rocks were 
too smooth to present a very secure foothold for even 
the cautious camel, and nearly all of those who gener- 
ally remained mounted when climbing the rocky passes 
preferred trusting to their own feet here. Mohammed, 
in his light blue gown and white turban, was the only 
one I recollect passing over on his camel. The poor 
fellow had begun to feel the effects of labor without 
rest, and .had been a good deal reduced by illness. 
There are the remains of an ancient fort at the summit, 
and nothing looks more strange than ruins marking a 
former age of enterprise, found occasionally in districts 
of which nature seems to be now the sole proprietor. 

We took a long, last look at the desert region we 
were to leave behind, and then went on our way. As 
we proceeded, we found flowers of great beauty, which 
we gathered with avidity for our herbariums. 

We soon came into a country over which were 
thinly scattered wild oats ; but, however desolate now, 



HEBRON. 



295 



might once have been a cultivated district. Another 
day brought us among grass, and the plain was cov- 
ered with a variety of wild flowers, delicate and beau- 
tiful, which my camel selected with a dainty taste that 
I much applauded. 

The morning air was elastic, and with a gladsome 
heart we skimmed over the carpet of fresh grass, spark- 
ling with dew, that was so grateful to the feet long accus- 
tomed to burning sands. Then came more climbing of 
mountains, more ruins, and more stony wastes. Wells, 
old, very old, were shown us from time to time, where 
David may have watered his flocks. Every inch of 
ground was, as one will believe, full of interest. 

At length the town of Hebron, high upon a hill, 
bursts upon us, and we view it with emotions of sad- 
ness ; for here we are to part with our trusty camels, 
and our long tried, faithful guides. We march slowly 
up the long, stony road that leads to it, and suddenly 
halt before a gray, gloomy wall ; the gate^ open, our 
little army crowds in, we find ourselves in a small 
court, surrounded by a high wall ; the gates are closed, 
the camels kneel, we dismount, and are shown into 
forlorn, unfurnished apartments in a building of gray 
stone. We are thrust in here to endure, as best we 
may, a quarantine of four or five days. Our love of 
freedom, acquired during forty days of tent-travelling, 
nearly equals that of the proud and scornful Bedouin, 
and we submit with a poor grace to such restrictions. 
We seek refuge from the dusty, suffocating prison, and 



296 



BURIAL-PLACE OF ABRAHAM. 



go out upon a verandah to look at the mass of men, 
camels, and baggage, that fills the limited court be- 
neath. The uproar of Arab-voices, that nearly stunned 
us for a while, is hushed. The camels are still kneeling, 
and seem to feel the all-pervading dolefulness. The 
countenances of the wild Arabs are expressive of the 
contempt and impatience with which they regard this 
infringement of their freedom. We hear old Hoseyn, 
as he turns from surveying this singular rendezvous, 
which is the termination of his connection with us, 
utter emphatically, the brief words, " Khalas ! Khalas ! " 
it is finished, it is finished. The expression with which 
we are so familiar, the hallowed expression, forever as- 
sociated with the dark and sorrowful scene at the cross, 
penetrates our very souls, and casts a gloom over 
every thing. 

Hebron is, as every one knows, the place where the 
independent Abraham bought the field for a burial- 
place, and, where he weighed out to Ephron the "four 
hundred shekels of silver, current money with the 
merchant ; " there " is the cave that is in the field of 
Machpelah, which is before Mamre," where " they 
buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife," where " they 
buried Isaac and Rebecca, his wife," where Jacob 
buried Leah, and where the embalmed body of Jacob 
was doubtless also laid, according to his directions. 

This most interesting relic of antiquity, over which 
the Mussulmans have erected a mosque, is held in such 
sacred regard by them that no person is allowed to en- 



QUAKAKTINE AT HEBKOjST. 



29Y 



ter. The Mohammedans themselves, of course, frequent 
the mosque, which Jews and Christians are forbidden to 
do ; but even they, it is said, are not admitted into 
the sacred sepulchre. Most interesting spot ! When 
the time comes, as it probably will ere long, for the 
termination of the arbitrary and superstitious power 
which forbids an examination of the venerable mauso- 
leum, and the curious investigator is permitted to enter 
it, we may fancy with what eagerness a search for the 
embalmed body may be prosecuted, and if it should be 
attended with success, how much deeper feeling of 
interest will be occasioned by the discovery than 
would be by that of any of the long-sought-for bodies 
of the Egyptian kings. 

The sullen faces of the Bedouins grew darker and 
darker ; at length a low murmuring ensued, and finally 
loud voices of altercation and discontent showed that 
their unpractised powers of endurance were nearly ex- 
hausted. This " durance vile " of one night was quite 
as much as they were equal to bearing ; and when they 
were permitted to march off in the morning, it was with 
a downcast and humbled aspect, as if they were deeply 
abased by the temporary imprisonment. 

Little better did we, who had been trained to bear 
the yoke, yield ourselves to the unreasonable demand 
of the powers that were. We could see no possible 
reason for a quarantine here. Still, there might some 
good come of it. It gave an opportunity for rest, yet 
13* 



298 



HEALTH-OFFICER. 



we should have greatly preferred that in our own tents 
under some vine and fig-tree. 

We made every possible effort to procure a visit 
from the physician who was to decide our destiny. We 
were always told that he was absent, although we 
thought we saw his face in a window opposite. At 
length, on the third day, it was announced that he was 
coming to see us. We were summoned from our vari- 
ous apartments to undergo the ordeal of pulse-feeling 
and catechising. We were so wild with joy at the 
prospect of liberation that our spirits knew no bounds, 
and then came the exciting fear that he might attribute 
the fluttering of the pulse to some other cause. We 
found him, however, to our surprise, a genuine, accom- 
plished disciple of iEsculapius, who was just about as 
conscious as we were of the absurd and ridiculous nature 
of his duties there. 

After some agreeable conversation with him, we 
were restored to better humor, and recommending a 
fumigation of our rooms, he dismissed us. If that had 
been done at our entrance, it would have been quite the 
thing. As it was, we obeyed orders, and the convul- 
sions of laughter that accompanied the performance was 
no doubt sanitary. We were instructed, besides, to 
take a walk back upon the hills for renovation, but were 
not permitted to enter the town. This harmonized ex- 
actly with our wishes, and we were altogether pleased 
with the wisdom and sagacity of our physician. 

We had afterwards an opportunity to visit some 



JEWISH PHYSIOGNOMY. 



299 



synagogues, where we found interesting parchments 
and relics of former grandeur, kept with the greatest 
care, but much soiled and worn. The "buildings were 
miserable and dingy, and the descendants of Israel have 
all the marks of poverty that characterize them every- 
where in the East. 

Here we began to see the black round hat that is 
worn by the Jews in Palestine only, and strangely 
enough it looks beside the universal turban or cap. 
We saw some quite handsome women among them, 
with fair complexion and blue eyes, and the men had 
the same complexion, with light hair worn quite long 
about the face. They were an entirely different variety 
from those we had been in the habit of seeing at Con- 
stantinople, and were less abject. Indeed, at the lat- 
ter place there was rather an assemblage of varieties, 
from different countries to the north and east of Tur- 
key. Contrary to the usual supposition, they were 
distinguished from the western Jews by the conforma- 
tion of their features, of which the shape of the nose 
was most conspicuous. But as this cannot be ascribed 
to intermarriages, nor to any material difference in their 
habits, it is probably owing to the influence of climate 
and country. As we met with them in Judea, the 
familiar features were everywhere predominant; and 
coming to Jerusalem, we fully realized that, notwith- 
standing their abject condition, they must have a con- 
sciousness, while hovering about the tombs of their 
ancestors that no common blood flows in their veins. 



300 



ON OUR WAY TO JERUSALEM. 



We were now to have the fourth variety of travel- 
ling. We had tried steamboats, the Nile-boat, camels ; 
and here, before our door, stood an array of horses and 
mules. The horses were saddled and bridled, and the 
asses and mules loaded up to the ears with luggage. 
They looked so inferior to the camel, and so unequal to 
bearing the burden put upon them, that we reluctantly 
took them in exchange for our noble, long-tried fellow- 
laborers. 

The squalid, miserable appearance of the Syrian 
Arabs, who were henceforth to be our attendants, by 
no means pleased us. They looked like men degraded 
by vice, sunken in their own esteem, and consequently 
excited our distrust. We felt that the romance of 
travelling was past, as, indeed, we afterwards found it 
to be. But we were "going up to Jerusalem," and it 
was better that the absorbing interest of the journey 
should be undisturbed by any accessory objects. 



fHE END. 



